You say Madrona, we say Arbutus!

One of my favourite trees is the beautiful Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), a native species to the west coast and particularly to Vancouver Island, where I live. It is unique as a broadleaf evergreen (it has leaves, but doesn't drop them in the autumn) but I think its oustanding feature is the red bark that peels off and leaves a satiny smooth surface. It often clings to high cliffs and overhangs and is always close by the ocean. If you'd like further information about the arbutus have a look at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Madrone