Trees of Big Sur and the Santa Lucia Mountains of Central California
Madrone Arbutus menziesii
This easy to recognize broad-leafed evergreen with distinctive rust colored bark is sometimes called Pacific Madrone while in the Pacific Northwest it is known as Arbutus. They range from 30 to 80 ft. tall with a trunk over 6 feet in diameter (although the largest I have found in the Santa Lucias is almost 4 feet in diameter). The tree is often twisted with curved branches. While they look similar to the Manzanita bushes they are not closely related.
The leaves are thick, oval, dark geen on the top surface and lighter green beneath with an entire margin.
The From a distance the broad green leaves and upper branches of Madrone bark with its smooth red-orange bark stands out against the other trees in the forest.
Racemes of pea-sized bell shaped flowers occur in the Spring.
Pea-sized green fruit of the Madrone in late summer, early fall.
In the fall the fruit ripens to a bright red that is an important food source for many birds and other wildlife.
The rust bark peals away leaving a smooth skin.
When the bark peals it often exposes a light green bark in the Spring.
The deep rust-red color of the smooth Madrone bark on a mature tree.