Great Design Plant: Arbutus 'Marina'

traditional landscape by San Marcos Growers

Botanical name: Arbutus 'Marina'
USDA zones: 7 to 9 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Light
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 25 feet tall and wide, but can grow to 50 feet
Special consideration: Drainage must be very good, or else root diseases may develop.

by San Marcos Growers

landscape Arbutus Marina at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

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Distinguishing traits. Dainty clusters of pink flowers dangle among leathery green leaves, mainly in spring and fall. Even small branches display the peeling bark and glossy reddish new bark.

Arbutus Marina at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

eclectic landscape Great Design Plant: Arbutus 'Marina'

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Eye-catching fruit that appears spring to fall resembles that of the closely related strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). It's edible if you are a fan of mealy, tasteless fruit. Why bother?

Great Design Plant: Arbutus 'Marina'

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How to use it. Make 'Marina' a magnificent centerpiece of your patio, although it can create a mild mess with falling leaves, flowers, fruit and bark. It's more at home in a wilder, dry section of a garden. Make it a focal point rising up from a planting of mixed California natives such as manzanita, rhamnus and ceanothus. Keep lawns and frequent watering away. (Note that in this photo, the lawn is not allowed near the trunk.) Pruning away the lower branches has trained this tree to develop a round top.

Arbutus Marina at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

contemporary landscape by Boxleaf Design

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Multitrunk 'Marina', with lower branches left in place, has found a happy (dryish) home here with succulents and gravel mulch.

Growing tips. Before planting, make sure that the soil drainage is pretty good to excellent. Incorporate ground bark or other organic matter into the planting hole.

by Boxleaf Design

Comments

redhonda99 Thanks

6 months ago · Like

smittycdm Bill, thank you so much for pointing out the Arbutus 'Marina' does not like wet feet. I live in zip code 92625, near the beach, and our lots are small relative to the rest of the country. More plants & trees are killed from (neighbors') overwatering, than die from sun & drought. Bob Perry's 2010 book just says "...well-drained soil." Fortunately, my tree had been in the ground a short time & my landscaper was able to raise it up, (12", I wanted the crown higher than the edge of the patio.) In two days, new shoots appeared. :) Thanks again.

5 weeks ago · Like