MADRONA - FULL BURR

Also known as: Pacific Madrona, Strawberry Tree

Botanical Name: Arbutus menziesii

Origin: Western U.S.A. and Canada

Description: This species is of interest mainly as a burr veneer, the plainer wood being of little decorative value. Colour varies from light pinky red to a medium reddish-brown and the texture is smooth and lustrous. The veneer can be very user friendly for a burr, often having a leathery property and being clean and reasonably free of open defects. Those logs that show poor colour or dark stain are sometimes put through a special process of bleaching and dying which restores their usefulness. Some then even resemble a good Maple burr but without the ingrowing bark that is so common in that species. Madrona burr, both natural and dyed, is used for high quality furniture and special interiors.