Those Beautiful Madrones of Camano Is
© 2008 J. McDougall
Many years ago when I first graduated from college, I lived in Sacramento, California, on a street named Madrona Avenue. At the time I had no idea what the word “Madrona” meant. It is not a tree one finds in Montana or Eastern Washington where I had spent much of my life. But here on Camano Island I was delighted to discover and learn about this attractive and remarkable evergreen.
Once you have seen the tree, you will find it is quite easy to recognize. The long leaves are shiny and leatherlike. The bark is paper thin. In young trees the bark is chartreuse in color. As the tree matures the bark becomes a smooth reddish-brown. It typically peels away or flakes off the trunk and branches, revealing the silken smooth layer beneath.
In spring the Madrone is magnificent with its pinkish-white clusters of urn shaped flowers that somewhat resemble lily-of-the-valley. Bright orange-red berries follow, ripening in the fall. They often still adorn the tree at Christmas.
The bluffs of Camano Island State Park provide a fine habitat for Madrone. Here the soil is coarsely textured and well drained. The site also provides good sun exposure for much of the day.
The tree was probably first called Crespi Madrono by Father Juan Crespi in California in the late eighteenth century. Madrono means “strawberry tree” in Spanish and the padre likened it to the Spanish-Mediterranean strawberry tree. He may also have felt that it looked like it belonged in the warmer Mediterranean climate. But as noted botanist Dr. Arthur Kruckeberg* noted at a Stanwood lecture, our climate is in reality similar to that of the Mediterranean.
The Madrone is a member of the Heath family. Its genus and species name is Arbutus menziesii. It was so named in honor of Archibald Menzies, a naturalist who visited the Northwest coast several times in the late 1780’s. Many of our British Columbia neighbors and native plant students refer to the tree commonly as Arbutus rather than Madrone or Pacific madrone.
The leaves and bark of the Madrone have been valued as having astringent qualities. Its wood has been historically valued in fashioning various items from spoons to boat keels. It is considered a good wood for furniture making, but has not been used much commercially in this manner. The wood has also been used successfully in charcoal production.
The beauty of the trees makes them desirable additions to well-drained yard or landscaping sites. However, some may find their habit of constantly dropping their leaves too messy for manicured yards. Their best habitat is probably where they are often found in the wild – at the edge of the bluff where their falling leaves are not a cleanup problem.
Written by Pat Nash
Beach Watcher Class ’94
Additional information about Madrones. These trees are almost impossible to transplant so don’t try to dig up a healthy one. Transplant attempts, coupled with the fact that they are extremely sensitive to pollution, are threatening the species’ survival.
Further information: http://soilslab.cfr.washington.edu/madrone/prelim_pp.pdf
* Dr. Arthur R. Kruckeberg, Gardening With Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, Second Edition, Revised, 1997.
Published September 2008