There is a moment, between the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, when the colors of the Mediterranean scrub silently erupt: the bright red of ripe fruits, the pure white of the flowers, and the deep green of the evergreen leaves. This is the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), a plant of a thousand shades, emblematic of a Mediterranean that can be both gentle and wild.
Native to the western Mediterranean basin, the strawberry tree has traveled along coastlines, carried by the wind, by birds, and by human hands. Found in Spain, Greece, the Maghreb, and of course Italy, it has found an ideal home in Puglia: among the sun-drenched limestones of the Murgia, in the hilly areas near the sea, along the edges of ancient masserie in Ostuni and hidden ravines, where the Mediterranean scrub becomes dense and fragrant.
A native plant with a nomadic spirit, the strawberry tree has withstood landscape changes, deforestation, and wildfires. It has survived, blooming again in places where nothing seemed to remain. For this reason, it has become a symbol of rebirth and resilience – a small fire that burns slowly among the stones.

Anatomy of an Evergreen Wonder
The strawberry tree belongs to the Ericaceae family. It is a hardy shrub, often resembling a small tree, and can grow over five meters tall. Its bark peels in thin, rust-colored plates; the leaves are leathery, oblong, glossy, and evergreen. The flowers appear between October and December: white, sometimes pinkish, bell-shaped blooms similar to those of heather. As the flowers bloom, the fruits from the previous year reach full ripeness, creating a striking contrast of colors.
The fruits are round, bright red, and covered in small bumps. The flesh is grainy, sweet with a slightly tart aftertaste. An intriguing fact: when fully ripe, the fruits undergo a mild natural fermentation that gives them a slight alcoholic content. It’s not uncommon for birds, overeager and unsuspecting, to gorge themselves and end up in a near-euphoric state. One wonders if the ancient inhabitants of these lands ever conducted similar experiments...
The species name unedo comes from Latin and is often translated as “I eat only one” – perhaps due to the fruit’s peculiar flavor, not always appreciated at first taste.

Myth, Symbolism, and Folk Traditions
Sacred to the Romans, the strawberry tree was often planted in votive gardens dedicated to the Manes, the spirits of ancestors. Virgil mentions it in the Aeneid, associating it with memory and the peace of the dead. Its tricolor appearance – red, white, and green – also made it a patriotic symbol, appearing in Risorgimento literature as an emblem of Italian unity.
In Apulian folklore, the strawberry tree is known as the “plant of strong women”: those who gathered its fruits in the wild were often skilled in the art of healing with what the land provided. The berries were used to prepare decoctions for abdominal pain, the leaves to treat urinary inflammations, and the bark as an astringent. In the areas around Ostuni and Brindisi, it was customary to preserve the ripest fruits in grappa or cooked wine, producing a liqueur “of women and fire,” as they used to whisper.

Wild Food and Rebirth
In the age of self-sufficiency and rural poverty, the strawberry tree was one of many forgotten gifts of the Mediterranean scrub. Children ate the fruits straight from the bush, while women transformed them into jams, preserves, and infusions, capturing the unmistakable flavor of forest and time.
Wild food foraging – the art of identifying and using wild plants for nourishment – found a valuable ally in the strawberry tree: a plant that fed, healed, and warmed. The leaves were sometimes added to digestive decoctions or brewed as a cleansing tea, and the fruit pulp was used in sweet breads baked in wood-fired ovens, together with other seasonal wild fruits.
Today, the strawberry tree is once again at the center of a gastronomic and ecological revival. Chefs and small-scale local producers celebrate its versatility: artisanal jams, aromatic liqueurs, rare monofloral honey – made by bees that feed on its winter blooms – and even flavored beers.
In the land of Ostuni, where the whitewashed houses meet the green of the scrub, the strawberry tree continues to tell the story of those who knew how to live in harmony with the land, listening to the voice of the seasons. A plant that is both memory and promise, between the fire of its fruit and the calm of its glossy leaves.