[JTh]

Last spring I discovered a few A. andrachne trees not far from us (around 350 m above sea level), they were much taller than any A. arbutus I have seen, and full of flowers.

This place is quite special, full of orchids, fritillarias, anemonies and irises in spring, sternbergias, colchicums and cyclamens in the autumn.

[Umbrian]

It does sound a very special place Jorun, can we see some 'photos please?  It is always interesting to discover places where the variety of wild flowers is more diverse than in surrounding areas, I have noticed that around us the land beneath Sweet Chestnuts is often rich in orchids in particular. Since the chestnuts are grown as a crop (some of the trees are very old) the land around is cared for to enable ease of gathering, thus unwanted scrubby vegetation is kept at bay and, despite the leaf canopy of the trees, more light and less competition allows certain plants to flourish and develop colonies - that is my theory anyway! Could be some kind of symbiosis though?
Would be interested in your comments

[JTh]

I have mostly taken photos of the plants in that area, no landscapes (have to do something about that), but it is only around 500 meters from a small Εξοχική εκκλησία (=countryside church) called Profitis Ilias, which is a couple of kilometres outside the village Metaggitsi and situated on a small hilltop overlooking both the gulf between Kassandra and Sithonia and the gulf between Sithonia and Mount Athos. The view from here is spectacular, and there is a huge celebration for the Prophet Elias every year on 19 July.

‘My’ place is a very rocky stretch along the road to Metamorfosi, with some deeper pockets, like small, steep valleys, in between, there are often signs of wild boars having just been there. I am not sure if I am more afraid of these or those hunting them.  Last year I saw that a couple of meters on each side of the road had been ploughed, to make it easier to trace the movements of the boars. Otherwise it is too rocky for any agricultural use.

[Alisdair]

Lovely pictures, Jorun and Aris.
Going back to how big arbutus can grow, in Melbourne Botanic Gardens last month I saw a magnificent Arbutus unedo, reclining gracefully into its old age. Out of curiosity I paced out its diameter - 50 metres!
That is a very special climate, hot in summer and mild in winter, usually with some rain right through the summer. I've never seen one anything remotely like that size in Greece. We've grown them both from seed and from cuttings and find them very slow but sure, say half a metre at the most after three years.

[Janet Ibbotson]

Despite it growing wild on Skopelos I've been unable to source a. andrachne from any Greek nurseries.  I have read (probably on the forum) that arbutus will not transplant and cuttings are very difficult.  Is that so?  Has anyone succeeded?  If so, I could then try with andrachne myself.  Locals find it hilarious that I purchase koumaria (a.unedo) from a nursery.  It is a very beautiful shrub/tree year round as well as being excellent firewood even when unseasoned.

[Alisdair]

Janet, we've taken arbutus cuttings in Greece, flown them back to England as cuttings and struck them there, then taken them out to Greece as very young plants, and they've been no more difficult than other shrubs. But plants that we raised from seed that we'd collected at the same time initially overtook the cuttings plants - though they've all more or less kept pace with each other since.

[Janet Ibbotson]

That's very interesting.  Alastair - when did you take the cuttings?  Also I've never thought about growing from seed.  Where are the seeds?  They are not on the outside of the fruit and I don't remember them being inside it, are they?

[Alisdair]

We took the cuttings in late October or early November. Talking just now to my wife Helena about it, who's the cuttings expert in this family, we think (but really can't remember for sure), that the seeds were inside the fruits, as we do have a vague recollection of sticky fingers.

[JTh]

The seeds are inside the mature fruit, I have stolen a photo from the internet, as shown below.

I am surprised you can't find Arbutus unedo for sale on Skopelos, I bought one many years ago locally in Halkidiki, it is doing well. Growing from cuttings sounds interesting, I must try that, I have brought many plants I have propagated in Norway from seeds collected in Greece, plastic bottles are excellent for transporting them, I cut off the top, put the plant inside and tape the top back again for protection. Cardboard boxes for transporting wine wine are also useful.

[Janet Ibbotson]

I can get a. unedo if I order it from the mainland.  Its not something anyone else I know here has planted.  What I don't seem to be able to find in any Greek nursery is a. andrachne, and this is more surprising because it is gardenworthy for so very many reasons.  Thank you for the information about seeds.  I've eaten them but have never looked inside.  I'm going to try some cuttings (as recomended by Alastair) once there's some new semi-ripe wood (which in the current rain will probably be in a month's time) and will try the seeds next time there's some nice plump fruit around.  I have a friend with lots of a. andrachne on his land so will report back in a year to eighteen months!