strawberry tree

American  

noun

1. an evergreen shrub or tree, Arbutus unedo, of the heath family, native to southern Europe, bearing a scarlet, strawberrylike fruit.

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strawberry tree British  

noun

1. a S European evergreen tree, Arbutus unedo, having white or pink flowers and red strawberry-like berries See also arbutus

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Etymology

Origin of strawberry tree

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

The house was connected to a bakery, and the mural is a still life of a silver platter bearing a cup of wine, pomegranates, figs, a garland of yellow strawberry tree fruits, dates and nuts.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

Bauer’s favorite is Arbutus unendo ‘Compacta,’ the native strawberry tree.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2022

A Jamaican strawberry tree produces pinkish red berries year round that look like cherries but taste like — you guessed it — sweet ripe strawberries.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2022

The goats feed off all the local plants, including the strawberry tree, a bush that is turned by villagers into a liquor called aguardente de medronhos.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2019

There too grows the "strawberry tree," whose red fruits wear so familiar an appearance; and tall pines, the giants of this "pigmy forest."

From Fabre, Poet of Science by Miall, Bernard