CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY TREE STUDY KIT

MADRONE

• Think of this as the tree that gets sunburned. Its bark is reddish and peels off.
• Some kids call madrone the "refrigerator tree." When you touch it, it feels cool, even on a hot day.
• Many birds including robins and band-tailed pigeons eat madrone berries. Some mammals like the gray fox like them too.
• If you want to taste a madrone berry choose a dark red one. The yellow/orange ones are "puckery".
• Native Americans made a tea from the roots, bark and leaves for colds. The bark was used for stomachaches. A lotion for sores was made from leaves and bark.