Ode to the Madrone Tree

About a year ago we did a blog post about Madrone trees shedding their bark in the heat of the Summer. That fact is so unique, fascinating and beautiful by itself with layers of burgundy, orange, pale green and beige colors complimenting each other so stunningly!

This year we have what looks like a record amount of berries, which inspired me to a new post about this significant tree!

You can eat them raw, just from the three (only disadvantage is that they are usually up very high). Berries that grow in our Forrest are very mild, a bit soft and a bit bland. Some resources say they might be very sweet almost blueberry-like, or astringent, like Mountain Ash berries.

They also can be cooked and dried to store.

So many berries! When you look out into the window you see a lot of red! And it's not red fall leaves color, it's those berries, and that strikingly red Madrone tree bark!

Indigenous people revered Madrone trees as sacred, magical, feminine. They tell stories of its use as an anchor for canoes and a source of knowledge. The tree's colorful, peeling bark and its distinctive tendency to lean and twist toward the sun also make it a symbol of adaptability, survival in harsh conditions, and the balance between light and darkness.

And of course, not only people love those berries! Deer, bears, squirrels, and tons of birds! Sometimes Forest sings with thousands of happy voices, and leaves dance together with the birds'wings!