Walking through the forests of Northern California, you see many evergreen trees; the woods are all shades of green: bright green to dull gray-green, blue- to yellow-green.
Suddenly you may come upon a brilliant red trunk—orange- or purple-red, shining in the dim green light. This is the Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii. The dark red outer bark peels off in papery curls to reveal the smooth layer underneath. Sometimes it’s red, sometimes a deep olive-green. The trunk and branches have a twisting look, almost muscular. The satiny texture calls you to touch it.

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