Madrone

Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is an elegant, broad-leaved evergreen tree with a twisting trunk that develops beautiful reddish-brown flaky bark with age. Mature size ranges from 20 to 65 feet tall and wide. Madrone does best in full sun and dry, well-drained soils. Leaves are dark, shiny green and shed irregularly throughout the year.  This tree produces drooping clusters of small, pinkish, bell-shaped flowers in April, which are followed by small round orange-red berries in the fall.

Madrone fruit is eaten by a wide range of birds and its flowers attract numerous pollinators.  Spring azure, echo blue, and brown elfin butterflies lay their eggs on madrones, as do Mendocino saturnia moths.  Hummingbirds, butterflies, and small bees pollinate the flowers, and robins, thrushes, cedar waxwings, northern flickers, and other birds and mammals feed on the berries.

These attractive trees are difficult to establish and do not survive transplanting well, but are well worth the wait if you have good habitat for them.  Plant small seedlings 10-15 feet apart on sunny, rocky hillsides or in very well-drained soils, leave them be, and be patient.