Anyway, I've always liked trees and wooded areas generally (Though I also love the desert), and there are some species of trees that I like in particular. We have recently moved, and much to my delight, there are a lot of Arbutus trees (also called Madrona Trees) in the general area. In fact, I can see several from my office window.
I'm not sure why I like the Arbutus tree so much, but I do. Maybe it is the vibrantly coloured bark in contrast to the gold tinted green of the leaves, or perhaps it is the way the twist as they grow. Regardless, they are my favourite tree.
Here is a little legend and lore too:
arbutus
Aboriginal people revere arbutus. In their fine guide, Plants of Coastal British Columbia, Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon tell us the Saanich used its bark and leaves as cold and stomach remedies, in a tuberculosis medicine and for contraception. The bark was also used to colour food. According to a Straits Salish legend, the survivors of a great flood tied their canoe to an arbutus atop Mount Newton near Sidney. To this day, as a mark of gratitude, the Saanich do not use arbutus as firewood. Victoria poet Richard Olafson's In Arbutus Light refers to another native legend, where the tree's "webbed roots hold the splintered earth together." If the arbutus should disappear, the myth warns-whether from fungal infection, habitat loss or some other cause-the planet would fly apart and be utterly destroyed.
Tree Book - Arbutus
My Favorite Tree - Arbutus Arts (er... please ignore the bad poetry on this page, I mostly posted it because of the images
)dsc_0006 pictures from pacific northwest photos on webshots
Anyway, after rambling on, I'm wondering if anybody else here especially likes a certain type of tree, and if you know of any lore surrounding the species, please post that too.
