Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Friday - December 11, 2009

From: San Jose, CA
Region: California
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification of tree with strawberry-like fruit
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

On my walk home from work i noticed a red berry i had never seen before. It is soft like a strawberry, bumpy all over but the bumps are not individual as a raspberry has. It grows on a tall bush (very much like a tree), grows individually like a cherry and the berry has no noticeable seeds on the outside like a strawberry. I will try to get a pic or two and send them later this week. Thank You.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants thinks perhaps your tree with the strawberry-like fruit could be Arbutus unedo, strawberry tree.  It is native to the Mediterranean area, western Europe, and Ireland.  Here are more photos and information.  If this doesn't happen to be your plant, please send us photos.  Visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for instructions on submitting photos.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Identification of tree with round purple leaves
May 14, 2014 - What is tne name of the purple leaf tree whose leaves are spherical? Maybe 1 to 2" in diameter? A neighbor who has moved now, had one but cut it down before i could find out or rescue it. It wasnt ...
view the full question and answer

Identification of vine with green flowers
May 23, 2012 - Trying to identify a vine with 5-petaled ~1 cm dia green flowers (w/ barely perceptible white & black speckles). I have 3 photos I can send (showing flowers & leaves). The flower petals are almost...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification--Mock Orange
June 08, 2009 - I "grew up" with what I was told was a "Mockorange Bush." I've been looking around to be able to try to identify what variety it was. To be specific, the one that I am familiar with had little...
view the full question and answer

Identification of small mint-like plant in Virginia
May 19, 2013 - I am looking for a mint plant my mother use to have but we didn't plant. It grew in Earlysville, Virginia in red clay soil. The cat loved it but it was neither catnip nor catmint. It was under six in...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant with speckled green leaf
June 21, 2015 - I have a purple (or brown) speckled green leaf plant with tiny yellow daisy-like flowers. The leaf is fuzzy looking on the edge. Self seeds freely in my shady garden.
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.