Pacific madrone
Arbutus menziesii
Red peeling bark and berries for birds; hates summer watering.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 9
Light: full sun
Size: about 50 ft tall, 40 ft wide
From: Pacific coast
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators, wildlife.
Native to: Pacific Northwest, California, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 7 to 9.
The story
Pacific madrone sheds its bark every summer in papery red curls, leaving new skin underneath as smooth and cool as pistachio-green satin. It lives on dry, rocky bluffs from British Columbia to California.
Planting
Full sun and fast-draining soil, ideally on a slope. Plant a very small seedling in fall and never move it.
Growing
Water lightly the first summer or two, then never again. Summer watering invites root rot.
Harvest and use
White bell flowers for spring bees, and orange-red berries in fall for band-tailed pigeons, thrushes and waxwings.
What to watch for
Hard to establish and it resents disturbance. Leaf spots are cosmetic.
See if Pacific madrone fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home