Scientific name:
Arbutus menziesii General: Small to medium-sized, with heavy branches, to 30 cm tall but usually much shorter; young bark chartreuse and smooth, older bark dark brownish-red and peeling off.
Leaves: Alternate, evergreen, oval, to 15 cm long, dark shiny green above whitish-green below, hairless, leathery, without teeth except sometimes on young growth.
Flower: White, urn-shaped, 6-7 mm long, fragrant (like buckwheat honey); in large drooping clusters.
Fruits: Orange-red berries, about 1 cm across, surface finely granular; not usually eaten by humans, but popular with birds.
Ecology: On dry, sunny, often rocky sites, frequently with coarse-textured soils; low to middle elevations; typically associated with Douglas-fir and Garry Oak.