Madrone produces a virtual kaleidoscope of colors accentuated by its extraordinary bark, which is orange-brown or terra-cotta and shreds off all summer in ragged, papery strips to reveal smooth, chartreuse inner bark. Near the base of old trunks, the bark becomes brown with flaky, gray scales.
Mardone leaves are elliptical, 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) long, thick and leathery. they are shiny dark above and pale silvery below, resembling leaves of rhododendron (R. macrophyllum), which is also in the heath family. In June, shortly after the new crop of leaves has become fully grown, the second-year leaves turn orange to red and begin to fall.
In May, the tree produces grapelike fruit clusters of small, white to pinkish, urn-shaped flowers, often in profusion. They have a strong, sweet odor that attracts honeybees. Clusters of orange-red berrylike fruits ripen in autumn and persist into December.
Increasingly, madrone is valued as a colorful ornamental and shade tree. It can be propagated from cuttings. It seems to prefer dry summer conditions, however, and often declines in yards that are heavily irrigated. Residents with madrone in their yard are well aware that it is continually shedding something - bark, leaves, flowers, fruit. A mature madrone will give the homeowner plenty of exercise in the form of raking.
-Northwest Trees
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