# Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

> A broadleaf evergreen with smooth cinnamon-red bark that peels in papery sheets to reveal pale green new bark, glossy leathery leaves, clusters of white urn-shaped flowers in spring and orange-red berries in fall that robins, waxwings and band-tailed pigeons devour. Trees lean and twist toward light on rocky coastal slopes. It is beloved but notoriously hard to establish and dies if a lawn is irrigated around it; plant it small and leave it alone.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/arbutus-menziesii · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Madrone, Madrona, Arbutus
- Family: Ericaceae
- Type: Broadleaf evergreen
- Mature height: 15 m; spread 10 m
- Growth: Slow growing; lives about 200 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 7 to 9
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Very well-drained, low-fertility, lime-free soil on slopes and bluffs; no summer water or fertilizer
- Native range: Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia through Puget Sound and the Oregon Coast Range to the California Coast Ranges.

**Benefits:** Wildlife, Birds, Pollinators, Drought tolerant, Long lived, Salt tolerant, Holds soil

**Good for:** Yard shade, parks, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** Heavy litter, Pest prone

## Care

Plant a small seedling in fall in a sunny, sharply drained, unirrigated spot; transplant mortality rises steeply once trees are over a foot tall. Water lightly only the first summer, never fertilize, and do not disturb the roots. Prune minimally in dry weather. Leaf blights, cankers, Phytophthora root rot and sudden oak death are the chief problems and are worsened by summer watering; it drops bark, leaves and fruit year-round.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** BC, Canada (Southwestern British Columbia; Canada's only native broadleaf evergreen tree.); CA, United States (California Coast Ranges and Sierra foothills.); OR, United States (Oregon Coast Range and Willamette Valley margins.); WA, United States (Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.)
- **Recommended:** Los Angeles, CA, United States (On the City Plants (Los Angeles) Street Tree Species List)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/arbutus-menziesii/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ARME
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbutus_menziesii