SENĆOŦEN name: ḰEḰEYIȽĆ
Native to the western coastal areas of North America, from British Columbia to California, including Victoria.
196 on the map, the #35 most common of 384 species.
Show Arbutus / Pacific madrone trees on the map
Many mammal and bird species feed off the berries. The berries dry up and have hooked barbs that latch onto larger animals for migration.
Although drought tolerant and relatively fast growing, Arbutus menziesii is currently declining throughout most of its range. One likely cause is fire control; under natural conditions, the madrona depends on intermittent naturally occurring fires to reduce the conifer overstory. Mature trees survive fire, and can regenerate more rapidly after fire than the Douglas firs with which they are often associated. They also produce very large numbers of seeds, which sprout following fire.
Indigenous peoples ate the berries raw and cooked, 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 stomach aches, cramps, skin ailments, and sore throats. The bark was often made into a tea to be drunk for these medicinal purposes. Wood was spared as fuel and for any other use by Saanich for spiritual reasons (because of its service to people during the Great Flood).