Arbutus menziesii

Pacific Madrone
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Arbutus
Species:	A. menziesii
Binomial name
Arbutus menziesii Pursh [1]

Arbutus menziesii, commonly known as the Pacific madrone, is a species of Arbutus found on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia (chiefly Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) to California (mainly in Puget Sound, the Oregon Coast Range and California Coast Ranges but also scattered on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains). It is rare south of Santa Barbara County, with isolated stands south to Palomar Mountain, San Diego County and northern Baja California, Mexico. It is also known as the madroño, madroña, bearberry, refrigerator tree or strawberry tree. In the United States, the name "madrone" is used south of the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon/northern California and the name "madrona" is used north of the Siskiyou Mountains according to the "Sunset Western Garden Book". In British Columbia it is simply referred to as arbutus. Its species name was given it in honour of the Scots naturalist Archibald Menzies who noted it during George Vancouver's voyage of exploration.

Description

Arbutus menziesii is a broadleaf evergreen tree with rich orange-red bark that when mature naturally peels away in thin sheets, leaving a greenish, silvery appearance that has a satin sheen and smoothness. The exposed wood sometimes feels cool to the touch. In spring, it bears sprays of small bell-like flowers, and in autumn, red berries. The berries dry up and have hooked barbs that latch onto larger animals for migration. It is common to see madrones of about 10–25 meters in height, but with the right conditions trees may reach up to 30 m. In ideal conditions madrones can also reach a thickness of 5–8 feet at the trunk, much like an oak tree. Leaves are thick with a waxy texture, oval, 7–15 cm long and 4–8 cm broad, arranged spirally; they are glossy dark green above and a lighter, more grayish green beneath, with an entire margin. The leaves are evergreen, lasting a few years before detaching, but in the north of its range, wet winters often promote a brown to black leaf discoloration due to fungal infections. The stain lasts until the leaves naturally detach at the end of their lifespan.

Cultivation

The trees are difficult to transplant and a seedling should be set in its permanent spot while still small. Transplant mortality becomes significant once a madrone is more than one foot (30 cm) tall. The site should be sunny (south or west-facing slopes are best), well drained, and lime-free (although occasionally a seedling will establish itself on a shell midden). In its native range, a tree needs no extra water or food once it has become established. Water and nitrogen fertilizer will boost its growth, but at the cost of making it more susceptible to disease.^{[citation needed]}

Uses

In spring, it bears sprays of small, white, bell-shaped flowers.

Native Americans ate the berries, but because the berries have a high tannin content and are thus astringent, they more often 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, ring-tailed cats, 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 wood is durable and has a warm color after finishing, so it has become more popular as a flooring material, especially in the Pacific Northwest. An attractive veneer can also be made from the wood. However, because large pieces of madrone lumber warp severely and unpredictably during the drying process, it is not used much. Its most important use is as firewood, since it is a very hard and dense wood that burns long and hot, surpassing even oak in this regard.

Conservation

The peeling red papery bark is distinctive

Although drought tolerant and relatively fast growing, Arbutus menziesii is currently declining throughout most of its range. One likely cause is fire control: under natural conditions, the madrone depends on intermittent naturally occurring fires 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.

Increasing development pressures in its native habitat have also contributed to a decline in the number of mature specimens. This tree is extremely sensitive to alteration of the grade or drainage near the root crown. Until about 1970, this phenomenon was not widely recognized on the west coast; thereafter, many local governments have addressed this issue by stringent restrictions on grading and drainage alterations when Arbutus menziesii trees are present. The species is also affected to a small extent by sudden oak death, a disease caused by the water mold Phytophthora ramorum.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arbutus menziesii

• Jepson Flora Project: Arbutus menziesii
• 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
• The BC Ministry of Forests and Range Tree Book on Arbutus
• California Madrone