The madrona tree is my favorite tree eva. It’s similar to a rhododendron in many ways, starting with
the shape and color of its leaves. What baffles me is that in Seattle, there are NO madronas, but if you
go north just a tinsy bit, (a one and a half hour drive to La Conner and a six hour boat ride to Roche
Harbor) you get a bunch of madronas. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never seen them! I think that
they look a bit tropical in a certain light…Also, their bark is really peely. If you tear it away, it reveals
the soft and mushy bark of the tree. You have NO IDEA how many madrona trees people carve their
names into. It’s actually quite depressing.
This pic below shows some madrona trees at Buchart Gardens.Didn’t I say they looked tropical?Also,
the pic on top shows the rough bark (orange) and they soft bark (yellow). Usually there is a layer of
regular brown bark, but….that tends to be peeled away already…
