Arbutus Meditation

 

As we walk the trails in the Harewood Plains in Nanaimo, I find it disturbing that almost all the young arbutus, or pacific madrone trees show signs of a kind of black spot fungus that Brian Starzomski has identified as Phacidiopycnis washingtonensis. Sadly, there are many human-caused factors, including fire suppression, habitat disturbance and climate change that are causing arbutus trees to fail.  Eileen M. Stark has written an excellent article detailing these factors and also giving you tips on how to grow an arbutus tree if they are native to your area. 

Arbutus trees are an exceptional wildlife tree for bees. Honey bees collect nectar from the urn-shaped creamy blossoms, so you can be sure many native bees also rely on them for nectar, including bumble bees.  I’m very excited to go to Galiano this week for the bioblitz to visit a spot near Montague Harbor where there is an arbutus tree with blossoms low enough to the ground to observe the bees. And where there’s nectar, you’ll also find butterflies and hummingbirds, which also feed from the blossoms. At least two butterfly caterpillars also feed on the leaves: the echo blue and brown azure butterflies. Birds also nest in the trees, eat the caterpillars and feed on the berries which give the tree its name “madrone” or “strawberry tree”.

 

I’m working on a diaphanous cape of arbutus leaf-shaped pieces of silk organza. My plan is to create a series of costume pieces I can wear as I talk to people about the importance of protecting and propagating this key bee tree.

 

 

You can help researchers by documenting the bees, birds, and other insects you see in arbutus trees and posting them on iNaturalist. Next time you see a pacific madrone tree, spend some time with it, send it your gratitude. Have a conversation. Give the tree your blessing. And be sure to inhale the scent of the fragrant healing blossoms. Read what Diana Beresford Kroeger has to say about its antiviral and antibiotic properties.