The species, which bears the vernacular name of Madrona, 
is distributed from the British Columbia coast at Seymour 
Narrows southward through the coast region of Washington 
and Oregon, and through the California coast ranges to the 
Santa Lucia Mountains. Professor Sargent describes it as 
the noblest of all its race, and refers to a magnificent 
specimen growing on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, near 
the town of San Rafael, Marin County, California, which is 
upwards of 100 ft. high and has a trunk measuring 23 ft. 
in girth at 3 ft. from the ground. Aon illustration of this is 
given in the Garden and Forest, vol. v. p. 151. South of 
the Bay of San Francisco Arbutus Menziesii is often 
shrubby. Its heavy, hard and close-grained wood is used 
in the making of furniture, and largely also in making 
charcoal for gunpowder. 
Arbutus Menziesii is one of the few hardy Ericaceous 
plants which attain to tree-like dimensions in this country. 
The specimen from which the flowers figured in the 
accompanying plate were taken has stood for many years 
on the north side of the Broad Walk at Kew. It is 
now a spreading, bushy tree about 20 ft. high, with a short — 
trunk 4 ft. 8 in. in girth. It has an interesting and 
conspicuous appearance because of its smooth cinnamon- 
coloured branches. The species is quite hardy at Kew, 
although the shoots of young seedlings, which grow 
vigorously and late into the autumn, are apt to be cut back 
by frost. Plants should be given a permanent place early, 
because of their impatience of disturbance at the root. 
Once established, they grow quickly. The soil should be of 
a peaty nature or, failing that, a sandy loam. 
Drscriprion.— Tiree, stem 20-50, rarely up to 110 ft. 
high, 1-4 or sometimes up to 7 ft. in diameter, bark generally 
or at least partly flaking as it also does on the larger 
branches, then very smooth and cinnamon-coloured ; crown 
spreading ; young twigs pale red, orange or green, smooth 
or sparsely clothed with hairs that soon disappear. Leaves 
elliptic or oblong, 24—5 in. long, 14-3 in. wide, apex rounded 
or shortly cuspidate, base rounded, subcordate or cuneate, 
entire or sometimes (especially in young specimens) serrate, 
coriaceous, dark green, shining above, glaucous beneath; 
petioles thick, channelled above, 3-1 in. long. lowers in 
