Pacific madronas are fantastic native trees. They have sturdy, shiny leaves, attractive flowers, bright berries, and artistic, muscular form. Their best attribute, however, is their remarkable bark. The bark is a brilliant orange-brown and it peels away to show yellowish inner bark.

Several madronas have started in our yard here, likely dropped by birds who have enjoyed the nutritious berries. One of the seedlings is now a bushy small tree growing in the raised bed under the Douglas fir. It is happy and heathy there and grows several feet a year.

With my native plant efforts, this tree fits in perfectly. You can see that leaf miners have found it already. And maybe some leafcutter bees, as well, as some leaves are missing edges. I’ve seen kinglet birds sheltering in this tree already, too–they seem to prefer it to other plants in the garden.

There are other Pacific madrona seedlings that come up occassionally and I plan to nurture them and move them if possible and warranted to places of honor in the garden.