This attractive evergreen shrub is displaying bell-like flowers at the western end of the Glasshouse Range.
Most members of the Ericaceae, or heather family, require acidic soils to thrive, though the genus Arbutus is an exception, growing well on limy soils. The genus comprises 10 species from western North America, Europe and the Mediterranean. Originating from western Europe, Arbutus unedo, or the strawberry tree, is the most widely cultivated species, and is grown for its evergreen foliage, delicate flowers, and attractive fruits. The leathery, glossy, toothed leaves provide a good foil for panicles of drooping cream-white flowers, which are produced in autumn. Globose, strawberry-like fruits, ripen in the following autumn, and can appear with the successive season’s flowers.