Pacific Madrones grace the HREC landscape.

A nice photo of a large, mature tree at the Hopland REC in California.

http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4919

True Plant Stories: The Pacific Madrone

By Gary Gragg
Contra Costa Times correspondent

"WITH ITS broad-leaved, evergreen foliage, shiny red bark, pink urn-shaped flowers, festive multicolored fruit of orange and yellow, and crooked maroon trunk, it is arguably the most beautiful tree in the world. But it doesn't hail from some a far off exotic land or tropical isle.

No, it's simply our native and under-appreciated Pacific madrone."

Read more here. At the end of the article is some useful information about transplanting madrone.

Arbutus menziesii

Re-posted from Curbstone Valley Farm - native plant gardening and organic farming on California's central coast. This is a good description of issues facing Pacific madrone throughout its range, and also has nice pictures:

The Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) is perhaps our second most favorite tree growing here (second only to our Coast Redwoods). Recently, however, we’ve realized our Pacific Madrones are likely the most at risk of disappearing from Curbstone Valley, permanently.

read the full post here:
http://curbstonevalley.com/blog/?p=4001