The Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii. also known as the strawberry tree due to its brightly colored fruit.
Never Burned By Natives
To the natives that lived in and around the Riverpass Retreat, the Madrone was considered too sacred to be burned as firewood.
Like most cultures, their's also begin with a flood legend. Having been the tree they could fasten their canoes upon, during the great flood, which is recorded in nearly all ancient histories.
During the Spring, a lovely scent that floats on the breeze, some have thought it to be a ladies perfume. When the scent is caught, it is unexpected, and pleasant enough that you may stop in step, so as not to lose the forest fragrance. It is none other than the small clustered bell shaped flowers of the Pacific Madrone. A tree that stands out anywhere.
The tree has more to offer than it's beauty alone, the large leaves and bark can be used to make tea to treat stomach ailments. The berries can be eaten, yet are not nearly as sweet as they look, and they are fairly dry as well. They do make a decent cider as the natives favored. The berries were also used to make excellent beads, since they become stone hard and will not easily decay.
An old native trick was to hand a visitor a piece of Madrone leaf while chewing up a piece himself. Then encouraging the newbie to do the same, proclaiming it to be a test of manhood if he could chew it up completely.
This was very hard to do, since your mouth becomes very dry due to the extreme bitterness of the leaves. So bitter and mouth-drying in fact, it is hard to gather any saliva to spit it out. An excellent test of manhood, maybe not, but it is a funny and harmless practical joke
The most interesting trees at the Riverpass Retreat are all Madrones. With their glossy leaves, smooth trunks, and twisted unique growth, it is easy to see why.
Some of our Madrones are several hundred years old and are the favorite trees of most visitors. The largest Madrone within the property a seven trunked giant, 'the Seven Sisters'. They are actually daughter trees that form a ring around what was an ancient single mother. Where only a depression in the ground marks where she stood.
If you would love to have your very own Madrone growing in your yard, you may be disappointed. The Madrone is considered by professionals to be one of the harder trees to transplant. It must be aligned correctly North/South to it's original location, as well as having a rocky dry substrate to grow in. If established, the tree will not tolerate help from humans for anything. Even with all these precautions, the plant will still probably die. Many well meaning gardeners have killed their fickle Madrone by simply offering it a drink of water in the summertime.
Madrone thrive in the rocky sunny patches in the Douglas Fir, Oak, Maple forests of the Pacific Northwest. The Madrone will twist and turn more than other trees in the forest as it seeks out the sunniest spots to grow. Occasionally we have authentic and organic Madrone berry bead necklaces and bracelets available in the online shop Now you can wear a stylish sustainable piece of the local Riverpass history with you where ever you go.
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