Pacific Madrona (Arbutus Menziesii)

Day 67: A Coast Salish legend tells this story:
Pitch was a fisherman, and it was his custom to go out in the early hours of morning before the Sun became too hot. As the day warmed, he would withdraw into the shadows to rest. But one day the fishing was exceptionally good and poor Pitch stayed out too long and melted into a puddle. Douglas Fir was the first to find him and picked up as much of Pitch as he could carry. Then each of the other trees came to help. Arbutus came last, but all of Pitch had been picked up and carried away. That is why today Arbutus has no pitch.

Commonly called Madrona or Madrone, this striking tree is most easily recognized by its red bark which peels off in sheets seasonally. Its leathery leaves are evergreen, and it bears clusters of red berries which the birds enjoy. It grows near salt water as a general rule, although these particular trees were found among others of their kind in the Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest near LaGrande, WA.