Pacific madrone

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; an open, sunny position generally produces the best crown and bark display.

Water

Water deeply but infrequently while establishing, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Established trees usually need little or no summer irrigation in suitable climates.

Soil

Well-drained, preferably acidic to neutral soil; tolerates rocky, relatively poor ground. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soil and irrigated lawns.

Height

30-80 ft (9-24 m)

Spread

20-50 ft (6-15 m)

Flowers

Spring; hanging clusters of small, creamy-white, urn-shaped flowers.

Foliage

Evergreen. Leathery, glossy, dark green oval leaves with paler undersides; older leaves shed mainly in late spring and summer.

Growth

Moderate once established; often slow initially and variable with the site.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   8 ft (2.6 m)

3. After 2 years

   10 ft (3.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   12 ft (3.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   16 ft (4.8 m)

About 26 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant a small, container-grown tree in its permanent position; avoid disturbing or teasing out the roots.
• Water deeply during dry spells through the first few summers, then gradually reduce irrigation.
• Keep lawn sprinklers and regularly watered beds away from the root zone.
• Leave a light layer of leaf litter or coarse organic mulch over the roots, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Do not routinely fertilize, dig beneath the canopy or change the soil level around established trees.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in dry summer weather, removing dead, damaged or poorly attached branches while cuts are still small. Avoid topping, heavy crown reduction and unnecessary removal of healthy limbs.

Autumn

Plant small trees while the soil is still warm, provided the site drains freely.

Winter

Check for standing water around young trees and keep the trunk base clear of wet mulch.

Spring

Check young trees for winter damage and inspect new growth for leaf spots or shoot dieback.

Late spring

Expect older leaves to yellow and fall; retain a light litter layer unless leaves are heavily diseased.

Summer

Deep-water establishing trees only when needed, letting the soil dry between applications.

Summer

Remove small dead or damaged branches during a dry spell; leave healthy bark to peel naturally.

• Use as a specimen on a sunny slope where its branching structure and peeling bark are visible.
• Place at the edge of a dry woodland with Oregon grape and drought-tolerant native shrubs.
• Combine with manzanitas and native bunchgrasses in a summer-dry planting without lawn irrigation.
• Allow room in a large wildlife garden for its broad crown, berries and natural leaf litter.

Garden styles it suits: Pacific Northwest woodland, California native, Woodland, Wildlife garden, Mediterranean and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Tall Oregon grape, Salal, Hairy manzanita, California fescue and Roemer's fescue.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other insects. Birds eat the berries, and the evergreen crown provides shelter and nesting cover.

• Root rot: saturated soil and frequent summer irrigation can cause decline or death. Choose a freely drained site and keep irrigation away from established roots.
• Leaf spots and blight: wet weather can cause spotting and premature leaf fall. Improve airflow, avoid overhead watering and remove heavily affected fallen leaves.
• Branch cankers and dieback: avoid bark wounds and heavy pruning; remove affected small branches in dry weather and seek an arborist's advice for major limb damage.
• Transplant failure: root disturbance is poorly tolerated. Start with a small plant, handle the root ball gently and avoid moving established trees.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although species-specific information for pets and horses is limited. The ripe berries are edible to people but can cause digestive upset if eaten in quantity; do not encourage pets or livestock to browse the tree.

• Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

  Usually smaller, with noticeably toothed leaves, rougher persistent bark and larger, knobbly strawberry-like fruits; flowers mainly in autumn.

• Greek strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne)

  Also has smooth, peeling reddish bark, but is generally smaller and has smaller, rounder leaves; distinguishing young trees can be difficult.

• Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.)

  Most are shrubs with much smaller leaves and small apple-like fruits rather than madrone's clusters of orange-red berries.

Arbutus is the classical Latin name for the strawberry tree, menziesii honours Scottish naturalist Archibald Menzies, and madrone comes from the Spanish madroño, meaning strawberry tree.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed cleaned from ripe berries and given a cold, moist period before sowing. Raise seedlings in individual deep containers and plant out while young; cuttings are difficult and unreliable.

Accepted botanical name

Arbutus menziesii

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

British Columbia, California, Mexico Northwest, Oregon and Washington.

Measured

Soil pH 4.5 to 7.4. Average height 2190 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.