Last updated: June 25, 2021
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Madrone Tree
![1378 A man rests in the shade of a madrone tree on San Juan Island in Washington](/articles/000/images/1378.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Today, we know it as the “Arbutus menziesii,” also called the madrono, madrona, or the arbutus. It features leathery evergreen leaves, red bark which easily peels from a tan-orange trunk, whitish flowers, and bright clusters of reddish-orange berries.
There are probably few plants that are more strongly identified with the Pacific Northwest or are held in greater affection than the madrone. A relatively slow-growing tree that reaches heights of 50 to 100 feet or more in the wild, the madrone usually tops out at only 20 to 50 feet in home gardens.