Arbutus canariensis
Veill. Ex Duhamel
Ericaceae
Arbutus callicarpa Buch
Arbutus longifolia Andrews
Arbutus procera Sol. ex DC.
Common Name: Canary Madrona
Cultivated, fruiting plant in La Palma
Photograph by: Meneerke bloem
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Canary Madrona is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 10 metres tall.
The fruit is gathered from the wild and used locally as a food. The plant is grown as an ornamental, valued for its evergreen leaves, flowers and fruits.
The tree is known from approximately 10 subpopulations, probably containing no more than 10,000 individuals. Numbers appear to be stable, though declining water availability and fires may affect some areas. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Canary Isles - the islands of Tenerife, Gomera, Hierro and Gran Canaria.
Habitat
Cloud forest[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a lime-free nutrient-rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade and shelter from cold drying winds, especially when young[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
The fruit is made into a sweetmeat[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - best surface sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be soaked for 5 - 6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a shady position[
78- Title
- Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sheat. W. G.
- Publisher
- MacMillan and Co
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
]. Do not allow the compost to become dry. The seed usually germinates well in 2 - 3 months at 20°c[
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. Seedlings are prone to damp off[
184- Title
- Shrubs.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Phillips. R. & Rix. M.
- Publisher
- Pan Books
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- 0-330-30258-2
- Description
- Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
], they are best transplanted to individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should be kept well ventilated.
Basal cuttings[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth. Poor percentage[
78- Title
- Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sheat. W. G.
- Publisher
- MacMillan and Co
- Year
- 1948
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
].
Layering of young wood - can take 2 years[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
