Genus of flowering plants in the heather family Ericaceae
Arbutus is a genus of 12 accepted species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to temperate regions of the Mediterranean, western Europe, the Canary Islands and North America, and commonly called madrones or strawberry trees. The name "Arbutus" was taken by taxonomists from Latin, where it referred to the species now designated "Arbutus unedo".
Description.
"Arbutus" are small trees or shrubs with red flaking bark and edible red berries. Fruit development is delayed for about five months after pollination, so that flowers appear while the previous year's fruit are ripening. Peak flowering for the genus is in April with peak fruiting in October.
History.
The smooth wood of the tree is mentioned by Theophrastus in his "Enquiry into Plants" ("Historia Plantarum") as formerly being used to make weaving spindles. An article on Arbutus tree cultivation in al-Andalus (in ) is brought down in Ibn al-'Awwam's 12th-century agricultural work, "Book on Agriculture".
Common names.
Members of the genus are called "madrones" or "madronas" in the United States, from the Spanish name "madroño" (strawberry tree). On the south coast of British Columbia, Canada, where the species is common, "arbutus" is commonly used or, rarely and locally, "tick tree". All refer to the same species, "Arbutus menziesii", native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern and Central California regions. It is Canada's only native broadleaved evergreen tree. Some species in the genera "Epigaea", "Arctostaphylos" and "Gaultheria" were formerly classified in "Arbutus". As a result of its past classification, "Epigaea repens" (mayflower) has an alternative common name of "trailing arbutus".
Systematics.
A study published in 2001 which analyzed ribosomal DNA from "Arbutus" and related genera suggests that "Arbutus" is paraphyletic and the Mediterranean Basin species of "Arbutus" are more closely related to "Arctostaphylos", "Arctous", "Comarostaphylis", "Ornithostaphylos" and "Xylococcus" than to the western North American species of "Arbutus", and that the split between the two groups of species occurred at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary. The 12 species are as follows:
Natural history.
"Arbutus" species are used as food plants by some Lepidoptera species including emperor moth, "Pavonia pavonia" and the madrone butterfly. The distribution of the latter species is in fact heavily affected by the distribution of the madrone. For Athenaios, it is the tree which Asclepiades of Myrlea talks about (Deiphnosophists, II.35)
Uses and symbolism.
Several species are widely cultivated as ornamental plants outside of their natural ranges, though cultivation is often difficult due to their intolerance of root disturbance. The hybrid "Arbutus" 'Marina' is much more adaptable and thrives under garden conditions.
The "Arbutus unedo" tree makes up part of the coat of arms (, The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) of the city of Madrid, Spain. A statue of a bear eating the fruit of the madroño tree stands in the center of the city (Puerta del Sol). The image appears on city crests, taxi cabs, man-hole covers, and other city infrastructure.
The "Arbutus" is important to the Straits Salish people of Vancouver Island, who used arbutus bark and leaves to create medicines for colds, stomach problems, and tuberculosis, and as the basis for contraceptives. The tree also figures in myths of the Straits Salish.
The fruit is edible but has minimal flavour and is not widely eaten. In Portugal, the fruit is sometimes distilled (legally or not) into a potent brandy known as "medronho". In Madrid, the fruit is distilled into madroño, a sweet, fruity liqueur.
"Arbutus" is a good fuelwood tree since it burns hot and long. Many Pacific Northwest states in the United States use the wood of "A. menziesii" primarily as a heat source, as the wood holds no value in the production of homes since it does not grow in straight timbers.
The Saanich people of British Columbia have a prohibition against burning arbutus, due to its salvific role in their creation myths; an arbutus anchored their canoes to the world during the deluge.
"My love's an arbutus" is the title of a poem by the Irish writer Alfred Perceval Graves (1846–1931), set to music by his compatriot Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924).
The Canadian songwriter, singer and painter Joni Mitchell (born 1943) includes a reference to the "arbutus rustling" in her song, "For The Roses". It sounded like applause. She calls the arbutus tree her "favorite all-time tree". She had one outside her door in a house she built.
"I love arbutuses," celebrated French chef Alain Ducasse, recipient of 20 Michelin stars, has said(24:50). "Yes, I love arbutus honey. It's sweet honey that's also bitter. I'm obsessed with the bitterness."
Cultural significance.
According to the Straits Salish, an anthropomorphic form of pitch would go fishing, but return to shore before it got too hot. One day he was too late getting back to shore and melted from the heat and several anthropomorphic trees rushed to get him – the first was Douglas fir, who took most of the pitch, the grand fir received a small portion, and the madrone received none – which is why they say it still has no pitch.
Also, according to the Great Flood legends of several bands in the northwest, the madrone helped people survive by providing an anchor on top of a mountain for their canoes. Because of this the Saanich people do not burn madrone out of thanks for saving them.
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;