PDA

View Full Version : Can anyone ID this tree?



Dan Mitchell
09-09-2009, 7:23 PM
From our forested lot in the Seattle area. I've seen a number of these around the area, they caught my eye because of their unusual bark (or more to the point, apparent lack of bark). Obviously, the trees must have some kind of vascular system to survive, but as shown at the base of the tree in the 1st pic, they appear to begin with a coating of "regular" bark, which falls away, revealing the 2 layers shown in the 3rd pic. I'm assuming this "2nd layer" contains the vascular area. On some I've seen, this 2nd layer is a very pretty red color. Pic 2 shows a branch with leaves. Anyone know what species it is?

Ken Whitney
09-10-2009, 9:29 AM
It looks like a Madrone.

Prashun Patel
09-10-2009, 9:42 AM
+1 Madrone. Smooth, greenish bark, curvy branches, leaf pattern - all match.

Dan Mitchell
09-10-2009, 3:32 PM
Right you are, here's an interesting web page on the species, Arbutus menziesii: http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/nativeplants/Arbutus_menziesii.html

Thanks for the replies.

Joe Pelonio
09-10-2009, 10:53 PM
I thought I was on the wrong forum, this kind of question comes up many times a day on my bonsai forum. Yes, it is madrone, around here they are struggling and many are dying off with the dry summer and disease. Amazingly cool trees but unfortunately not at all happy to be transplanted
or potted up.

Craig D Peltier
09-11-2009, 4:25 PM
From our forested lot in the Seattle area. I've seen a number of these around the area, they caught my eye because of their unusual bark (or more to the point, apparent lack of bark). Obviously, the trees must have some kind of vascular system to survive, but as shown at the base of the tree in the 1st pic, they appear to begin with a coating of "regular" bark, which falls away, revealing the 2 layers shown in the 3rd pic. I'm assuming this "2nd layer" contains the vascular area. On some I've seen, this 2nd layer is a very pretty red color. Pic 2 shows a branch with leaves. Anyone know what species it is?

I think turners use the madrone species.

Dan Mitchell
09-11-2009, 8:46 PM
I thought I was on the wrong forum, this kind of question comes up many times a day on my bonsai forum. Yes, it is madrone, around here they are struggling and many are dying off with the dry summer and disease. Amazingly cool trees but unfortunately not at all happy to be transplanted
or potted up.

Joe - I tried Bonsai once, years ago, with abysmal result (i.e., dead tree). I'd love to have one of these in the house. Is there a particular species which is immune to an inept beginner's treatment & the relatively dark interiors of the PNW?

BTW on the Madrone, I 1st noticed a stand of these on the edge of the 520, heading west towards the 405 (on the way back from the HF in Bellevue :D ) It wasn't until I'd talked about them to my wife & she mentioned there was one on the edge of our property that I realized we had one of them. Apparently, the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle is named for them.

Dan

Wayne Sparkman
09-11-2009, 9:51 PM
Looking elsewhere on the web, the madrone sample pictured looks somewhat akin to mahogany. Is that the case? One price cited was around $10 b/f.

Roger Bell
09-13-2009, 11:28 AM
Madrone turns great. But you have to talk to it first.