Pacific Madrone Scientific Name: Arbutus menziesii Family: Ericaceae Statistics Height: 20-80 feet (6-24 m) Diameter: 2 feet (0.6 m) Habit: Evergreen Range: British Columbia Southern California (Coastal Ranges) Zones: 4-7 and 14-19 History Discoverer-Archibald Menzies (1754-1842), 19 th century Scottish physician and naturalist
Spring-Summer Fall-Winter
Year Round Beauty and Color Young Branches of Pacific Madrone Bark of Pacific Madrone
General Characteristics Leaves: evergreen Length: 2-4 ½ inches (5-11 cm) Width: 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) Shape: elliptical, blunt at tip, can be saw toothed Texture: thick and leathery, hairless except when young Color: shiny dark green above, paler white beneath, turning red before dropping Bark: Branches/ Twigs: Trunk: red, smooth, peeling off in thin scaling paper reddish-brown, peeling in chunks Flowers: Length: Shape: Color: ¼ inch (6 mm) bell or urn shaped in clusters of 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long and wide white or pink-tinged corolla Fruit: Shape: 3/8-1/2 inches (10-12 mm) Color: orange to red in color Seeds: producing flattened seeds maturing in autumn Crown: Round, broad crown
Reproduction/Growth Habit: Reproduction-by sprouting-arise from dormant buds at or above root collar in large numbers Early growth is slow-1 to 3 feet per year Growth-on coastal bluffs (drainage and sun exposure) Growth pattern-individually or in groves Life Span-200-250 average with known range of 400-500 years old Grove of Pacific Madrone Individual Tree
Does not do well after transplanting Transplanting seedlings not good, but better from cuttings Shade/sun-young trees need partial shade for establishment and with maturation sun requirements increase, specifically top light Soil//Topography: Soil Requirements: Tolerates rocky areas, poor soil conditions, and drought Soils-good drainage and low moisture retention in summer Capable of extracting moisture from soil Topography/Physical Needs: Topography-flat, slopes, and cliffs-mostly facing south and west Climate-generally mild temperatures, cloudy periods and little fluctuation in extremes Temperature range -6 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Rainfall-18 inches to 166 inches Management/Uses: Management: Sheds year round from fruit, flowers, leaves, and bark Ornamental tree Garden fixture in many areas (i.e., parks, coastal landscaping, and large residential gardens) Uses: Wood is dense, strong, and hard, resembles black cherry Native American uses include brewing the bark for medicinal uses, bark for tanning, housing, cider, and tools
Disease/Damage: Young Seedlings: heart rot and dieback, fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea)-deforms young trees and sprouts. Mature and maturing trees: Fusicoccum aesculi (asexual stage), Botryosphaeria dothidea (sexual stage) Modern canker, Hendersonula foruloidea, Phellinus igniarius, Annosus root rot (Heterobasidion annosum), Fomitopsis Cajanderi, and Poria subacida. Fall Webworm (Hyphatria cunea) (Phellinus igniarius) Annosus root rot (Heterobasidion annosum) Damage by fire: everything dies back, but rarely kills, allowing for fast growing seedlings and establishment.
Damage by animals: deer eat berries from tender shoots of low crowns and young trees. Birds eat the berries.
Damage by insects: minor-defoliators, leaf minors, wood borers, bark beetles, common damage is from larva of Marmara arbutiella.
References Flickr. 2009.www.flickr.com. McDonnell, L. 2008. A Pacific Coast Native Graces Rocky Bluffs and Seaside Cliffs. McDonald, P. M. and Tappeiner, J.C. II. 2009. Pacific Madrone. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. 1980. Alfred A. Knopf. P 577-578. New York. Niemiec, G.R., Ahrens, S. W., and Hibbs, D.E. 1995. Research Contribution 8. Oregon State University, Forest Research Laboratory. http://owic.oregonstate.edu/species/madrone.php. Norris Brenzel, K. 2001. Sunset Western Garden Book. Sunset Publishing Corporation. P. 197. Menlo Park. CA. Ripley, K. 2004. Washington Department of Natural Resources.