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Pacific Madrone
( Arbutus menziesii )
Arbutus menziesii
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
Click on blue squares to see occurrence records.
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About Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
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The Pacific Madrone (
Arbutus menziesii
) is also known as the Madroo, Madroa, Bearberry, or Strawberry Tree, or simply referred to as Arbutus. It is a broadleaf evergreen tree with rich orange-red bark that peels away on the mature wood, 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.
Plant in a shady or partially shaded location, and avoid direct summer water. It prefers north-facing slopes especially in drier locations. Madrone is a particularly beautiful plant, but it grows very slowly in the southern, drier part of its range, where it typically grows to only 25 feet. In the northern, moister part of its range, it can grow quickly to 100 feet.
It is found on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia to California - 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 and northern Baja California, Mexico.
It is common to see madrones of about 10-25 meters in height, but, in the right conditions, the trees reach up to 30 meter. In best conditions, a madrone can also reach a thickness of 5-8 feet at its trunk, much like an oak tree.
The leaves are thick, oval, 7-15 centimeter long and 4-8 centimeter broad, and arranged spirally; they are glossy dark green above and a lighter, more grayish green beneath, with an entire margin. The leaves brown during the fall season and detach from the branches.
Pacific madrone seeds are dispersed largely by birds but also by mule deer, rodents, and gravity; robins, starlings, band-tailed pigeons feast on the ripe berries and subsequently disperse the seeds as they move about.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Tree
Size
15 - 100 ft tall
5 - 25 ft wide
Form
Rounded, Upright Columnar
Growth Rate
Slow
Dormancy
Evergreen
Fragrance
Slight
Flower Color
White, Red
Flowering Season
Spring
Wildlife Supported
Hummingbirds, many birds
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 18
confirmed
, 22
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Ceanothus Silkmoth
Hyalophora euryalus
Hyalophora euryalus
Mendocino Silk Moth
Saturnia mendocino
Saturnia mendocino
Silver-spotted Tiger Moth
Lophocampa argentata
Lophocampa argentata
Elegant Sphinx Moth
Sphinx perelegans
Sphinx perelegans
Birch-Aspen Leafroller
Epinotia solandriana
Epinotia solandriana
Columbian Emerald Moth
Nemoria darwiniata
Nemoria darwiniata
Dark Marbled Carpet
Dysstroma citrata
Dysstroma citrata
Landscaping Information
Sun
Part Shade
Moisture
Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 50
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10° F
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium
Soil Description
Heavy. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5 - 7
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens
Companion Plants
Coast Live Oak
,
Black Oak
,
California Bay
Tree
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: 2-3 mos. stratification.
Sunset Zones
?
3, 4, 5*, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24
Natural Setting
Site Type
Shady forests with Redwood, Pine or Fir; also Foothill Woodland and Oak Woodland. Prefers north slopes and well-draining soil
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 11.8" - 133.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 3.87", Coldest Month: 33.6" - 53.8", Hottest Month: 56.8" - 78.0", Humidity: 0.01" - 25.10", Elevation: 10" - 6292"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Bearberry, Madroa, Madroo, Strawberry Tree
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Pacific Madrone
Arbutus menziesii
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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