WALLACE W HANSENNative Plants of the NorthwestNative Plant Nursery & Gardens
2158 Bower Ct S.E., Salem, Oregon 97317-9216
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Wallace W Hansen Click here for Home Page: www.nwplants.com For information about Wallace W Hansen Northwest Native Plant Nursery & Gardens: Business Information (Ordering, etc.) |
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Updated March 26, 2008Arbutus menziesii - Madrone, Madrona |
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A Note from Wally: I grow
Arbutus menziesii (Madrone) and many other Northwest
Native Plants here in my Nursery and Gardens in the Willamette Valley in
Western Oregon. I specialize in Northwest Native Plants and sell both
Wholesale and Retail, depending on quantity. I usually have plants
available year-round in one gallon containers and often in various other
container sizes and as Bare Root plants in the Winter months. This site is
intended as a reference for all who are interested in Northwest Native
Plants: amateur, professional – everyone. For more information, go to my
Home Page at www.nwplants.com and then
click on Plant Catalog
for current prices and availability. Be sure and then click on Plant
Sales for any bargains. If you buy in large quantities, check the Wholesale
Information Sites on my Home Page.
If you have any information about this species – stories, climates, uses, propagation, etc. please contact me at plants@nwplants.com If I publish your tips and information, I will credit you on the web and send you a credit memo. |
Photo by Jennifer Rehm Click on picture for large view |
| Description: Arbutus, genus of small trees and shrubs of the heath family, including the madrona tree of California and Oregon, and the strawberry tree of Europe. The trailing arbutus of the eastern United States is closely related to our northwestern madrona. This trailing arbutus, when found in the southern states is called the ground laurel. In New England, it is known as the mayflower. | |
| Arbutus menziesii (PACIFIC MADRONE) A beautiful, elegant broad-leaved evergreen, 30-70 ft. Famous for its smooth, reddish brown trunk, its large evergreen leaves and small red berries. Often grows on dry bluffs and poor soil. Sheds bark, berries and leaves. Tree trunks often bends at graceful angles. |
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Beginning in March through June, we see why this particular specimen is so valued in the landscape. The red, smooth bark in combination with the dark green of the leaves and the whiteness of the blossom is absolutely stunning. As the flowers are spent, red and orange and yellow fruit, usually in the same cluster, appear and by autumn are mature. Other times of the year we are rewarded with a completely different show. In June or July, we see new leaves emerging in a vivid green as the old leaves turn a rich red and gradually fall. These leaves are a wonder in themselves. They are shiny and very green on top, much paler on the underside, hairy when young. The bark of the madrone has it's own pallette, beginning as deep orange when young. As the tree matures, the bark becomes darker and darker red until it phases into grey. At that point the trunk begins to scale creating a completely different texture than the smooth young tree. |
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| Scientific classification: Arbutus make up the genus Arbutus, of the family Ericaceae. The madrona tree is classified as Arbutus menziesii and the strawberry tree as Arbutus unedo. The trailing arbutus known as ground laurel and mayflower is classified as Epigaea repens. |
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Habitat and Geographic Range: From Vancouver Island, British Columbia, south through the lowlands of the Cascades, sometimes found in the Sierra Nevada, through San Diego County and the southern California coastal mountains and finally to it's most southern growth area of Santa Cruz Island, the Pacific madrone is always distinctive wherever it places it's roots. It's elevation choices are from sea level to 6,000 feet. The environments we find this beauty range from areas with average rainfall as much as 150 inches yearly to as little as 15 inches a year. As particular as it can be to establish, once it settles down to grow it will withstand high temperatures and drought to wet freezing conditions. Although it prefers some sun, it seems not to mind some partial shade. It often strikes a fellowship with oak or conifers as long as the forest does not smother it by standing too near. Neighbors known to live amicably with the Pacific madrone are Oregon white oak, Canyon live oak, tan oak, chinquapin, California black oak, California laurel, white or Douglas fir, coast redwood or Ponderosa pine. In fact, this unique tree often becomes the nursemaid to young Douglas fir seedlings. |
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Use of Plant: Native Americans ate the fruits of the madrone uncooked. The wood is quite dense, making it difficult to work except by the skillful carpenter. Mexican caberellos were known to make their spurs from this wood because of the hardness and the beautiful color. Propagation: Nearly impossible to survive when dug in the wild. Culture: Superb as a single tree or in drifts. Does best in a south or west exposure, well drained. Do not over-water or fertilize. Salal does nicely below Madrone. A must for every garden. Mainly disease resistant, the madrone is sometimes afflicted with root rot, fungi or soot cankers. |
Painting by Heidi D. Hansen (Click on image for large view) |
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Historical and Special Interest: A curious natural deer repellant is produced during the time when the leaves are young and attractive to our forest friends. A liquid containing reduced sugars is secreted just at the tip of the leaf bud which attracts ants and flies. The presence of these insects renders those succulent leaves unpalatable to deer. |
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