Арбутус Мензиса: Вечнозелёное дерево тихоокеанского побережья Америки

Species of evergreen tree

Arbutus menziesii or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae. It has waxy foliage, a contorted growth habit, and flaky bark. It is native to the western coastal areas of North America, from British Columbia to California.

Arbutus menziesii is an evergreen tree about in height, but in the right conditions up to The trunk is usually about thick. The thin bark is a rich orange red, and when mature naturally peels away in thin sheets, leaving a greenish, silvery appearance that has a smooth satin sheen. Older trunks are gray brown near the base. the stain lasts until the leaves naturally detach at the end of their lifespan. In spring, the tree bears sprays of small white to pink bell like flowers, madrone, madroño, madroña, or bearberry. The name strawberry tree (A. unedo) may also be found in relation to A. menziesii (though it has no relation to the strawberry fruit). According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, in the United States, the name "madrone" is more common south of the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon and Northern California and the name "madrona" is more common north of the Siskiyous. The Concow tribe calls the tree dis tā' tsi (Konkow language) or kou wät′ chu. Its species name was given it in honor of the Scottish naturalist Archibald Menzies, who noted it during George Vancouver's voyage of exploration.

The trees are difficult to transplant and a seedling should be set in its permanent spot while still small.

Native Americans ate the berries raw and cooked, but because the berries have a high tannin content and are thus astringent, they more often chewed them or made them into a cider. Overeating causes cramps. Early Californian settlers may have used charcoal from the species to make gunpowder. An attractive veneer can also be made from the wood. However, because large pieces of madrona lumber warp severely and unpredictably during the drying process, they are not used much. since it is a very hard and dense wood that burns long and hot, surpassing even oak in this regard. The Saanich people of British Columbia have a prohibition against burning arbutus due to its salvific role in their creation myths; an arbutus anchored their canoes to the world during the deluge.