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Pacific Madrone

About Madrone

Pacific madrone (arbutus, madrona, madroño) is the largest flowering tree of the family Ericaceae. The species produces sweet smelling flowers around May that attract many honeybees.

It is an important species for birds and wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Madrone berries ripen in autumn and last until December. These fruits are a favorite food for many bird species in the region, including band-tailed pigeons and quails.

Unfortunately, many Pacific madrone populations suffer from pests and diseases, such as foliar leaf blight, which likely affects the growth and survival of this important species.

on a ridge above a rocky beach a madrone with red flash and green foliage grows at a slight angle

The Name

a cluster of madrone leaves. most of them are already brown and dead but two standing up toward the top of the cluster have some green remaining.

Pacific madrone (arbutus, madrona or madroño) has several names that are used throughout its region.

Arbutus is a Latin term that generally translates as ‘strawberry’, which was chosen because of the bright red fruits it produces. Arbutus is also used widely as the common name for Pacific madrone in British Columbia.

Similarly, early Spanish settlers in California referred to the tree as Madroño, translating as ‘strawberry tree’, because of its relevance to the strawberry madrone (Arbutus unedo) in the Mediterranean. The name has therefore been adopted as ‘Madrona’ or ‘Madrone’.

Cultural Heritage

Pacific madrone is an important tree for the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest.

The fruits were sometimes dried, soaked, and prepared for food by indigenous communities (Moerman 1998). Communities along the Klamath River also used madrone berries as bait for steelhead fishing (Arno and Hammerly 2007). Leaves and bark were also used for medicinal properties such as cold remedy and stomach issues (Turner and Hebda 1990). Small utensils were also crafted from the somewhat bulbous roots (Arno and Hammerly 2007), but use of the wood was limited because of it tends to warp and check as it dries.

As referenced by Pojar and MacKinnon (1994), the late Chief Phillip Paul of the Saanich people shared that Pacific madrone was used by survivors of the Great Flood to anchor their canoe to the top of Mount Newton.

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a gallon ziploc bag laid flat, about half full of bright red berries. the bag is labeled using sharpie, detailing the species, date, and location where the samples were collected.
Pacific madrone berries

References

Arno SF, Hammerly RP. Northwest trees. Mountaineers; 2007.
Moerman DE. Native American ethnobotany. Timber press; 1998.
Pojar J, MacKinnon A, Alaback PB. Plants of coastal British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing; 1994.
Turner NJ, Hebda RJ. Contemporary use of bark for medicine by two Salishan native elders of southeast Vancouver Island, Canada. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1990 Apr 1;29(1):59-72.

Current Distribution

The Pacific madrone can be found from the coast region of southern British Columbia to southern California, but the exact range is still unknown.

In BC, it occurs mostly on the east side of Vancouver Island, but can be found widely throughout the coast region of Washington.

Pacific madrone occurs common along the coast and up rivers in Oregon, including some populations inland in the southern coast ranges and slopes of Siskiyous.

In California, the species can generally occur from anywhere in Northern California between sea level to about 3,000 ft in elevation, including some populations in the Sierras. South of Monterey, populations are confined to the immediate coast.

In general, Pacific madrone occurs in lower elevations within about 100 miles of the west coast.

Climate-Associated Shifts in Distribution

There is growing evidence that climate change is already affecting species distributions. Although we may not notice changes from year to year ourselves, forecasting out the next 70 years based on changes over the last century demonstrate stark changes.

along the west coast of the United States a map shows darker gray in the areas where madrones are common. along the interior of the Puget Sound and upward through the interior side of Vancouver Island it shows as common along the west coast down to northern california, where the coast shows some blank spots and it moves further toward the interior. there is one area in the northeast area of the state but south of that there are only isolated areas that get smaller towards Mexico.
Arbutus menziesii distribution

Predicted Site Viability for Pacific Madrone

There are at least two tools available for previewing the forecasted effects of climate change on Pacific Madrone:

The below maps from Data Basin represent distributions calculated based on viability scores, then recalculated based on forecasted values using the Hadley GCM Model under an A2 emission scenario.
More detail on viability scores

2010

red spots are shown throughout the south of Oregon and the north of California with one interior red spot. the rest of the spots are yellow, indicating lower viability for healthy trees.
Data Basin Pacific Madrone Viability Score 2010

2030

A smaller area of red is shown with more yellow around the edges
Data Basin Pacific Madrone Viability Score 2030 (Hadley GCM, A2 Emissions Scenario)

2060

the area of viability has narrowed significantly and is more yellow than red. No red areas are left inland.
Data Basin Pacific Madrone Viability Score 2060 (Hadley GCM, A2 Emissions Scenario)

2090

the yellow area has gotten thinner and migrated northward. There is almost no red visible.
Data Basin Pacific Madrone Viability Score 2090 (Hadley GCM, A2 Emissions Scenario)

Champion Trees

Have you seen a Champion Tree?

The National Register of Big Trees is a database where you can find or nominate some of the largest trees in the US.

Other Arbutus species

two men and a dog sitting in the crook of an absolutely giant madrone tree

More Information

Websites with more information about Pacific Madrone

Additional Links of Interest

Resources

a young madrone tree growing sideways to seek light

Resources from the Pacific Madrone Research Conference, April 19-20 2016

Presentations

Handouts

Other Species in the Genus Arbutus

There are about 14 species in the genus Arbutus globally. Arbutus species occur in Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and North America. Some of the more common species are listed below:

EuropeNorth America
A. unedo (Strawberry Tree)A. glandulosa (Central America Madrone)
A. andrachne (Greek Strawberry Tree)A. xalapensis (Texas Madrone)
A. canariensis (Canary Madrone)A. arizonica (Arizona Madrone)

WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center
2606 West Pioneer, Puyallup, WA, 98371-4998 USA
Last updated 9/24/2025