Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii

Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii)is to be noted because there are both Avenues and Streets in Vancouver British Columbia Canada that are so named.

The bark is thin, smooth, and reddish-brown, peeling in thin flakes or strips to expose younger, smooth, greenish to cinnamon-red bark underneath.

Arbutus is the only broad-leafed evergreen native to Canada!

It will grow up to ninety feet tall, usually with a crooked or leaning trunk that divides into several twisting upright branches and an irregularly rounded crown.

It is an extremely decorative tree that looks stunning, as if it belongs in the tropics (which it does) rather than in Coastal British Columbia.

Arbutus is found on sites that lack moisture, such as those with rocky or rapidly drained soils. Because it does not like shade, it generally occurs in clearings or on open rocky bluffs with other species such as Garry oak or Douglas-fir, oceanspray, Oregon-grape, baldhip rose, and several herbs and grasses.

Another common name is madrone, a Spanish word for the strawberry tree, of which arbutus is a close relative. The Scottish botanist Archibald Menzies first collected specimens in 1792.

Arbutus leaves and berries

Dark and glossy but pale underneath, 3 to 5inches long, thick, with a leathery texture.

Flowers

Dense clusters of urn-shaped white, waxy flowers drooping at the ends of twigs in April or May.

Arbutus flowers

Fruit

The fruit is berry-like, ¼ inch across, and bright reddish-orange, with a peel-like surface texture.

Where to Find:

Arbutus is restricted to a narrow band along the south coast and generally occurs within 5 miles of the ocean. It is often found on exposed rocky bluffs overlooking the ocean.

Uses:

Although people sometimes ate its berries because of the high tannin content [ Arbutus bark is very rich in a substance used for tanning hides.

The wood is heavy and hard, tends to be brittle, and cracks when drying. It is used only for woodworking in British Columbia.

The crushed berries can be made into a sweet cider or preserved as jelly. To store them over winter, they were first boiled, or steamed, and then dried. They were then soaked in warm water before being eaten.

A cider made from the berries was employed to stimulate the appetite. A supposed legend (there is always a legend, of some kind or other, connected with anything that is unique) has it that the Saanich who once lived on Southern Vancouver Island tied their canoes to arbutus trees following the Great Flood. It is claimed to this day some people descended from the Saanich will not burn arbutus wood because of the service it provided.

The flowers have a strong honey smell and are very attractive to bees. Fruit-eating birds such as waxwings and robins frequently eat the berries.
© Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.