But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
gives the scale.

Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.

So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 27/11/2021 17:26, Chris Hogg wrote:
> But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
> a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
> overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
> gives the scale.
>
> Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
> thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
> larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
> they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
> know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
> fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.
>
> So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
> of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?

It's /Cornus capitata/. Mine is now about 2.5 metres high and has around
100 fruits on it. Unfortunately they have little flavour. It is also
spectacular in flower. The bracts are about 5 cm across, an as they age
mine tend to get a slightly red tip on the end.

--

Jeff

On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 17:59:48 +0000, Jeff Layman
<jmlayman@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 27/11/2021 17:26, Chris Hogg wrote:
>> But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
>> a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
>> overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
>> gives the scale.
>>
>> Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
>> thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
>> larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
>> they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
>> know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
>> fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.
>>
>> So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
>> of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?
>
>It's /Cornus capitata/. Mine is now about 2.5 metres high and has around
>100 fruits on it. Unfortunately they have little flavour. It is also
>spectacular in flower. The bracts are about 5 cm across, an as they age
>mine tend to get a slightly red tip on the end.

Thanks Jeff. Yes, that's it. I've never seen it before.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

"Chris Hogg" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3hp4qg9kmm3oskvq2fbj0eumjdjbd4m9rl@4ax.com...
> But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
> a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
> overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
> gives the scale.
>
> Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
> thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
> larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
> they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
> know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
> fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.
>
> So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
> of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?
>
> --
>
> Chris
>
> Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
> from the West, but open to the North and East.

Cornus kousa

On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 19:30:38 -0000, "Arthur" <Arthur@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

>
>"Chris Hogg" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>news:3hp4qg9kmm3oskvq2fbj0eumjdjbd4m9rl@4ax.com...
>> But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
>> a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
>> overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
>> gives the scale.
>>
>> Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
>> thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
>> larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
>> they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
>> know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
>> fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.
>>
>> So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
>> of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?
>>
>> --
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
>> from the West, but open to the North and East.
>
>Cornus kousa
>
Thanks Arthur. The fruits are certainly very similar, but I read that
C. kousa is deciduous and has rounded leaves. This one is decidedly
evergreen, with pointed leaves, so I think Jeff's suggestion is the
correct one.

I'll go and pick up some more fruits tomorrow, clean off the pulp and
see if I can germinate the seeds. I believe stratification in the
fridge helps.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 27/11/2021 19:55, Chris Hogg wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 19:30:38 -0000, "Arthur" <Arthur@invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Chris Hogg" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
>> news:3hp4qg9kmm3oskvq2fbj0eumjdjbd4m9rl@4ax.com...
>>> But I'm not so sure! I was out walking this afternoon and came across
>>> a group of these on the ground, blown down by the gale from an
>>> overhanging small evergreen tree. https://ibb.co/vv7yq6b The 50P coin
>>> gives the scale.
>>>
>>> Where they had be trodden on, the flesh was pale orange. My immediate
>>> thought was 'strawberry tree', arbutus unedo, but they're rather
>>> larger than the strawberry tree fruits that I'm familiar with, and
>>> they're slightly flattened, again unlike strawberry tree fruits that I
>>> know, which are generally close to spherical. Also, the few remaining
>>> fruits up in the branches appeared to be singles rather than clusters.
>>>
>>> So if it's not an Arbutus unedo, what is it? Are there other varieties
>>> of Arbutus that have larger, flattened fruits such as these?
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>>> Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
>>> from the West, but open to the North and East.
>>
>> Cornus kousa
>>
> Thanks Arthur. The fruits are certainly very similar, but I read that
> C. kousa is deciduous and has rounded leaves. This one is decidedly
> evergreen, with pointed leaves, so I think Jeff's suggestion is the
> correct one.
>
> I'll go and pick up some more fruits tomorrow, clean off the pulp and
> see if I can germinate the seeds. I believe stratification in the
> fridge helps.

I just leave the seeds outside in a pot of compost over winter. I've had
a dozen plants up that way. The problem is that although the parent tree
is hardy enough against a south-facing wall, the seedlings seem to be on
the tender side, and are killed by a frost. But it's well worth trying
and /C. capitata/ is a very worthy plant for any garden where it's hardy.

--

Jeff