Solved Clueless as to the present I have been given.

A friend visited me recently bearing a gift of a shrub in a large, about 10 ltr pot. The shrub/ maybe a tree? Is currently about 3 ft tall.
I thank friend and ask her what it is. “ Oh you are bound to know what it is being so plant knowledgeable “( that will be a no!)” I took the label off as it had the price of the plant on it”. Great, I have no idea what it is and friend wouldn’t know the difference between a daffodil and a daisy so no point in even asking her to remember what it is called.
The plant is evergreen has a chestnut coloured “ bark”, the newer stems are sort of maroon colour. The leaves are slightly serrated and the gift had flowered, when , no idea but suspect maybe August. The flowers are quite similar to those of Pieris.
Something tells me this plant is not that hardy and if so is not going to enjoy here. It is currently in my unheated greenhouse. Hope someone can advise me what it is. If it is tender as I suspect then I will probably sell it in my upcoming charity plant sale as don’t want the hassle of dragging it in and out of the greenhouse. Perhaps my friend might have been safer bringing me a bottle of whisky!

 

Was going to say Laurel of some sort - thought a Bay but the scent of the leaves torn in half would have been pretty obvious.
Hope someone can help you ID it

 

Strawberry tree, Arbutus.

 

Thanks @Philippa for you suggestion.

Clever clogs Pete. Spot on. Hmm from the brief amount of research I have done, the present is about as much use as a chocolate teapot to me! I like my friend but as knowing anything about gardening, pass!
I now have to find some unsuspecting buyer at the plant sale who just might have even vaguely the right growing conditions, Maybe if they lived by the sea and had a walled garden they might get away with it. I will definitely tell my friend if she intends to visit again with a gift, it is better to be in a bottle.

 

Probably be a ship in a bottle.

 

Hmm, mine died after the cold snap in 2022/3 - and I'm in a mild area! But if it's arbutus unedo rather than x andrachnoides (which mine was) it might stand a better chance.

 

Hells teeth Caroline I have only just discovered what it is far less the variety. Any clues as to which mine might be? While I don’t want it, I would feel a bit bad selling it without the plant having a fighting chance of surviving. Would it be ok in say a conservatory or does it grow fast to large proportions?

 

A. unedo has been fine here for more than 20 yrs, probably more.

 

I grow Arbutus unedo here and it has survived some severe pruning despite being not recommended. It’s comparatively mild here though. I did a search for an A. andrachnoides recently as it was mentioned on a GQT episode. They are difficult to find and expensive. That might help you decide which one you’ve got @hailbopp .

 

The RHS says A. unedo is hardiness H5, hardy in most of the UK down to -10 to -15C, but needs well-drained soil, so it might be winter wet/waterlogging that's killing them rather than the cold. I could probably grow it here if I wanted to. Maybe not so good in the uplands of Scotland or Wales.

The info on here might be useful to include on a homemade label when/if you sell it Arbutus unedo | strawberry tree Trees/RHS

 

Plausible that it was the wet @JennyJB - it took a long time to die over a very wet period.
@hailbopp I think andrachnoides has nicer bark - a bit more like acer griseum (but not as good!) But that's no good to you as you don't have the two to compare
Maybe @Silver surfer can suggest more definitive ways to detect which it is?

 

hailbopp .




You say Scotland but that covers a huge area from the wet and mild West coast to the cold North.
Where are you based.
My guess is that it is Arbutus unedo judging by the leaves.
I love the flowers and the colourful fruits.
My pics below.
That is a fabulous gift.
However they do grow large./they need a sheltered spot.
Maybe you could donate it to some official garden/park... that has the protection from high walls./Or advertise it on e bay...buyer to collect.
The RHS say it is hardy in Zone 5.
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)

 

The flowers look much whiter than on my two, which I believe are just species A. unedo.
I think @noisette47 has a plant of "rubra", but mine just have a slight pinky tinge in the flowers.

 

I used to have Arbutus unedo rubra..with pink flowers.

 

See also posts above.
This is Arbutus menziesii growing against a wall in Crathes Castle garden NTS.
Near Banchory Aberdeenshire.
Leaves are very different.