14 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | AUGUST 2021 |
Summer is now in full swing and the heat is upon us. It is now a
balancing act of ensuring our plants and trees have enough water to
withstand our hottest days, as well as conserving water where ever
we can. We encourage all our residents to regularly check at your
watering schedules and your sprinkler or drip systems to see if your
plants are getting the needed water. If water is running down streets
and sidewalks, you're overwatering. Let's all do our part in conserving
water where we can, given we remain in drought conditions.
This month we focus on a tree that is tucked back in our Lodge
patio area near the fireplace. It is a "Arbutus unedo, the strawberry
tree, an evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family
Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe
north to western France and Ireland." (https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Arbutus_unedo)
"[The]Strawberry Tree will grow at a slow pace when planted
in either full sun or partial shade on well-drained, acid soil. Plants
are tolerant of wind and some drought once established and grow
in well-drained clay. It is one of the most attractive small trees
available for residential use. The strawberry tree grows to a height of
15–30' and a spread of 15–30' at maturity. This tree grows at a slow
rate, with height increases of less than 12" per year. Full sun and
partial shade are best for this tree, meaning it prefers a minimum
of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. (Arbor Day
Foundation, https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.
cfm?ItemID=1076) Come and check out our strawberry tree and
see for yourself this beauty!
The Landscape Committee meets on the first Wednesday of the
month at 1 pm at The Lodge. Residents are welcome to attend.
Landscape Committee
