The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo), or Koumariá in Greek, is an evergreen shrub or tree, native to the Mediterranean region but also present in other European countries (e.g. Ireland), as well as in certain parts of America (e.g. Oregon) as a non-native plant. Like most of the plants and trees at Stavros Niarchos Park, Koumariá is a medicinal-aromatic plant.
Its delicate fragrant flowers are white and bell-shaped and appear in October, blooming in clusters. Its fruit takes a year to mature, so very often the flowers coexist with the ripe red and unripe yellow-green fruits (which, of course, were the flowers of the previous year). Its glossy, dark-green and slightly serrated leaves surround its fruits and flowers, creating a synthesis of outstanding decorative value for the natural and urban landscape.
Although Koumariá is called strawberry tree in English, its fruits have nothing to do with the common strawberry — that is, nothing other than a visual similarity when seen from afar. From up close, the “peculiar” fruits of the Koumariá are rather exotic in appearance. Their taste is delicately sweet-and-sour, and while some believe they are among the most delicious fruits out there, others beg to differ. The fruits are usually left to fall from the tree, untapped, as their use is not widespread and it is widely unknown that they are responsible for flavoring liqueurs and brandy, jam and syrups. Honey from the flowers of Koumariá is considered one of the most special-tasting and most refined varietals.
The word Unedo derives from the Latin unum edo (“I eat one”); it was said to have been coined by Pliny the Elder, either because one may only eat one, or because the fruit was so delicious that one is enough.
Koumariá and its fruits contain antioxidant and antiseptic elements (arbutin) and tannins, and are rich in vitamin C.
The image of Koumariá has been utilized as a symbol in social ceremonies and in politics. There is a wealth of references to the plant in the history of western cultures. In Spain, a bear depicted together with a Koumariá shrub has featured in the coat of arms of the capital Madrid since the Middle Ages. Extant to this day, the symbol is most famously represented in the large bronze statue El oso y el madroño (The bear and the strawberry tree) located in the heart of Madrid.
Last but not least, the Strawberry Tree is interestingly present in Art History. The Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, in his famous triptych oil painting titled The Garden of Earthly Delights, includes the plant’s fruits in several parts of the central panel of the triptych as a symbol of earthly delights that are hard to resist or overlook. Their smell and taste are acute but also ephemeral, which is why the koúmara (as the fruits are called in Greek) often function as a symbol of vanity.
