A beautiful tree, the Arbutus (Madrone or Madrona) is a tough tree needing little nourishment, often found leaning out from coastlines, clinging to rock cliffs, stretching over the Pacific Ocean . A particular tree found within 5 km (3 miles) of the sea located only on the west coast of British Columbia when visiting Canada.

The "Arbutus Tree"
Wonders of British Columbia, Canada

Arbutus Trees in British Columbia

A beautiful tree, the Arbutus (Madrone or Madrona) is a tough tree needing little nourishment, often found leaning out from coastlines, clinging to rock cliffs, stretching over the Pacific Ocean . A particular tree found within 5 km (3 miles) of the sea located only on the west coast of British Columbia when visiting Canada.

Scientifically, the Arbutus Tree is known as Arbutus Menziesii. One cannot miss an Arbutus as it is the tree which is all bent out of shape, shedding its bark, twisting and turning horizontally, reaching for sunlight while clinging to fissures and crags.

It is in amazement that the Arbutus can live to 500 years old and grow up to 100 feet tall and ten feet wide. They can grow with little soil and survive the harshest west coast storms in the winter withstanding high winds and pounding ocean waves.

And durable.. the Arbutus can store water in burls growing from its trunk thus releasing water when needed. The tree can allow branches and parts of its trunk to slowly die off so the rest of the tree can live therefore surviving droughts and catastrophes.

And, get this, the Arbutus is a deciduous tree (a tree with leaves) that does not follow the common habit of shedding leaves in the winter. New leaves grow and old ones die still, but there is never a moment with no leaves. This is rare. The new year brings anticipated by many locals as the Arbutus can change the look and smells of a whole coastline during the spring when the trees are decorated in white blossoms.

In the summer, the reddish brown bark sheds its skin just like a bad sunburn. The bark curls up in slivers eventually falling to the ground so new greener bark can grow turning red again in the winter.

The Arbutus is a special tree that stands out from the rest - unmistakably charismatic and original. Get outdoors and explore the BC coastline and west coast islands hiking, walking, biking, boating or kayaking and it is almost certain to be coastlines lined with Arbutus trees.