Marianne's Response

Compact Strawberry Tree

Hi, Marianne. I have had this strawberry tree in my yard in Bonney Lake for about 3 years. Can you tell me what would be causing its leaves to suddenly start turning yellow and drop off? This tree is in a western location, so lots of sun, and the soil has been heavily amended with compost.

Posted by wstrkmp on June 8, 2021

Marianne's Response

The strawberry tree or Arbutus unedo is from the Mediterranean so it does not like lots of damp, wet soil. The only clue that it may be too wet is that you mentioned compost. Sometimes a thick layer of compost trap moisture and will encourage root disease. The yellow on the foliage could be a symptom of this. I suggest you pull back most of the compost and with the dry summer season coming up I suspect your tree will improve. It is a cute small tree not usually grown often enough so worth pampering a bit. It likes our naturally acid soil but does not need a lot of fertilizer. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti