#249 Madrone #249
by William Lum
Title
#249 Madrone #249
Artist
William Lum
Medium
Painting - Watercolor
Description
Outside of the Oroville Dam Visitor Center there was a tall Madrone tree next to the building with rich orange red bark peeling from the trunk. I always thought the Madrone is an attractive native tree. Madrones are native to the western coast of North America, from British Columbia (chiefly Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) to California.
I'm use to calling it a Madrone but I didn't realize it has other names besides it's scientific name of Arbutus menziesii depending upon location. In the United States, the name "madrone" is used south of the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon and Northern California and the name "madrona" is used north of the Siskiyou Mountains, according to the "Sunset Western Garden Book". The Concow tribe calls the tree dis-tā-tsi (Konkow language) or kou-wät′-chu. In British Columbia it is simply referred to as arbutus. Its species name was given it in honor of the Scottish naturalist Archibald Menzies, who noted it during George Vancouver's voyage of exploration.
Native Americans ate the berries, but because the berries have a high tannin content and are thus astringent, they more often chewed them or made them into a cider. They also used the berries to make necklaces and other decorations, and as bait for fishing. Bark and leaves were used to treat stomachaches, cramps, skin ailments, and sore throats. The bark was often made into a tea to be drunk for these medicinal purposes.
I painted this in transparent watercolor.
Uploaded
September 30th, 2016
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