Above: Lucky afternoon shot. From his perch on an arbutus high above Fiddler’s Cove, that eagle was keeping an eye on the water.
Arbutus is a fascinating tree because it is constantly changing. Its bark renews itself every year, peeling off old layers to reveal pistachio-green fresh skin.
If they are near your house, you might call them messy trees because they are constantly dropping something on the ground: bark, limbs, waxy flower buds, fruits not eaten by the birds, and dry leaves. Year round. A broom can be handy, to clear a path among the detritus.
Still, they are just beautiful. Have a look.
How is that for visual rhythm?
Another afternoon shot, focusing on the bark, curling and peeling off.
Right now, they are blooming, attracting lots of bees.
A close-up of the flower, which is waxy and heavy for its size (tiny).
Arbutus is a tree of coastal British-Columbia, the only native broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada. Its other common name is madrone, a Spanish word for the strawberry tree, of which arbutus is a close relative.
It likes sunny and dry conditions. Like rocky bluffs.
And in the fall, some years, it produces great crops of tiny fruit that are loved by the birds.
Go hug a tree, it’s good for the soul.