Madrone
Arbutus menziesii
Madrone is a broadleaf evergreen tree with a single or multiple trunks that grow 10-25 meters tall (up to 30). The stout trunks are covered in thin, papery layers of orange-red bark, which peel off in sheets and curls to reveal yellowish-green bark that matures to deep red. On the base of mature trees’ trunks that bark builds up thick, cracking flakes. The oval-leaves are thick and leathery, glossy dark green on top and gray-green underneath. The leaves, 7-15 cm long and 4-8 cm wide, can have a finely toothed or smooth edge. They grow in a spiral pattern from the stems. The small, whitish-pink bell flowers bloom in a drooping panicle (a stem with flowers blooming from the bottom up). The soft red fruit is bumpy with flesh, bright orange insides.
Basic Information
Member of the Ericaceae, or heather, family
Evergreen; however, second-year leaves turn orange to red and fall after the new crop of leaves is full grown
Can be slow or fast-growing depending on location
Grows very slowly in the drier, southern part of its range, where it typically reaches only 25 feet
In the northern, moister part of its range, it grows quickly to 100 feet
Typical lifespan is 200-250 years old, though it can possibly live to 400 years
Habitat
Native to western coast of North America, from Vancouver Island, British Columbia south to Santa Barbara, California
Primarily found in the the Puget Sound, the Oregon Coast Range, and California Coast Ranges, but there are scattered populations on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges
Commonly grows in coniferous and oak forests
Ecological Role
Leaves consumed by deer, squirrels, and the dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes annectens)
Nectar source for bees and hummingbirds
Host plant for the western brown elfin butterfly (Incisalia augustinus iroides), which feeds on the buds, flowers, and developing seeds
Berries are an important food for many birds and mammals during the winter
Some of the birds that consume the plant include: American robin, cedar waxwing, band-tailed pigeon, varied thrush, dark-eyed junco, and California quail
Cavity-nesting birds, such as woodpeckers, sapsuckers and chickadees, use the madrone as the tree often forms natural nest cavities from heart rot
Susceptible to Phytophthora ramorum, which causes Sudden Oak Death (SOD)
The other local species susceptible to SOD is coast live oak
The bark’s red color comes from tannins and other compounds, which help deter insects and other harmful organisms
Madrones are fire dependent, though not fire resistant
Rely on fires to burn away encroaching shrubs and herbs
A thick basal burl, or lignotuber, stores energy and sprouting buds for if the above ground growth of the tree is damaged by fire
Reproduction
Blooms from March-May
Seeds spread when the the small hooks on the dry berries latch onto animal fur
Pollinated most effectively by sonication or “buzz pollination” in which the bee expels pollen from the flower by rapidly fluttering their wings
Alternative Names
Bearberry, Madroa, madroña, madrona, Madroo, Pacific Madrone, Strawberry Tree, arbutus, Oregon Laurel, Laurelwood
The Concow tribe calls the tree dis-tā'-tsi or kou-wät′-chu
Historical Uses
Native Americans and First Nations people used the madrone for many purposes:
Poultice of leaves used to treat burns and stomach ailments
Tea of leaves taken for colds
Infusion of bark used to promote healing of cuts and wounds
Berries were occasionally eaten steamed or dried and stored
Berries also crushed to make a sweet, unfermented cider
Wood used to make utensils
Additional Information
Nicknamed the refrigerator tree because the trunk is cool to the touch
Madrones aren’t actually colder than other trees, but because they don’t have a thick layer of bark, you can feel the cool water being moved up the trunk by the xylem vascular tissue
The charcoal made from madrone wood burns hotter and longer than oak and is sometimes used as a component in gunpowder as a result
Reddish bark, which contains ample tannins, is sometimes used to tan leather
