Pacific Madrone

The Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii, is found on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia (chiefly Vancouver Island) to California, mainly in the Pacific Coast Ranges but also scattered on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It becomes rare south of Santa Barbara County, with isolated stands south to Palomar Mountain, San Diego County. It is also known as the madroño, madroña, bearberry, or strawberry tree.

It is a beautiful evergreen tree, with rich red bark that peels away on the mature wood, leaving a greenish, silvery appearance that has a satin smoothness. In spring, it bears sprays of small bell-like flowers, and in autumn, red berries. It is common to see madrones of about 6m in height, but in the right conditions the trees reach up to 30m. The leaves are thick, oval, 7 to 15 cm long, and arranged alternately; they are glossy dark green above and a lighter, more grayish green beneath.

Native American people ate the berries, but because they have a high tannin content and are correspondingly astringent, they more often either chewed them or made them into a cider. Many mammal and bird species feed off the berries, including American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Band-tailed Pigeons, Varied Thrushes, Quail, Mule Deer, Raccoons, Ringtails, and Bears. Mule Deer will also eat the young shoots when the trees are regenerating after fire. It is also important as a nest site for many birds, and in mixed woodland it seems to be chosen for nestbuilding disproportionately to its numbers. The timber distorts during drying and is not much used, but an attractive veneer can be made from it.

The Pacific Madrone is currently declining throughout most of its range. One likely cause is fire control: under natural conditions, the madrone depends on intermittent fire to reduce the conifer overstory. Mature trees survive fire, and can regenerate more rapidly after fire than the Douglas firs with which they are often associated. They also produce very large numbers of seeds, which sprout following fire. The species is also affected to a small extent by sudden oak death, a disease caused by the fungus Phytophthora ramorum.

External links

• Plant Guide from the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Species Information sheet from the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System