Arbutus unedo is a little tree from western Europe, that grows bobbly little fruits that do not actually resemble strawberries very much. It’s a member of the heather family, and can tolerate all kinds of climates; drought, frost, shade, salt and can even tolerate alkaline soils. It has pretty clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers that produce a bitter but fragrant honey when collected by bees.

The strawberry tree is sacred to the city of Madrid, and is one of the national symbols of Italy. Countries across the Mediterranean use its gritty, astringent little fruits to make powerful liquors. They can be eaten raw, but take my advice, they’re not that great. Best just admire them in booze form, or count the number of them that appear in Hieronymus Bosch paintings (hint: lots).