Pacific Madrone Arbutus menziesii

Pacific madrone is the only broadleaf evergreen tree in the Pacific Northwest — and one of the most visually striking. Its smooth, peeling bark reveals vivid red-orange underneath, and the leathery dark-green leaves stay on year-round. For mushroom foragers in western Oregon and Washington, madrone is a tree worth learning because it forms ectomycorrhizal partnerships with some highly prized edible species, including the Coccora (Amanita calyptroderma) and chanterelles in mixed stands.

Madrone favors dry, well-drained sites — rocky slopes, south-facing hillsides, and the edges of Douglas-fir forests where sunlight reaches the ground. It’s a fire-adapted species that resprouts vigorously from the root crown after burning, making it a persistent presence in forests shaped by wildfire.

The range of Pacific madrone extends from southwestern British Columbia south through the Puget Sound lowlands, the Willamette Valley foothills, and the Coast Range, all the way to southern California. It’s almost entirely west of the Cascades, with the densest populations in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the San Juan Islands, and the dry interior valleys of southern Oregon. In these areas, madrone often grows in mixed stands with Douglas-fir and Oregon white oak.

Madrone faces challenges from a canker disease (Nattrassia mangiferae) and Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum). Older trees in many lowland areas are declining, which has implications for the mycorrhizal communities that depend on them. The tree also has deep cultural significance to Coast Salish and other Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, who have long used the berries, bark, and wood.

Associated Mushrooms

Pacific madrone is an ectomycorrhizal host that supports a distinctive fungal community. In mixed madrone-conifer forests, the overlap with Douglas-fir mycorrhizal networks creates some of the most productive foraging ground in western Oregon.

Coccora

Amanita calyptroderma

The signature madrone mushroom. A large, golden-capped Amanita prized as an edible in California and southern Oregon. Fruits in fall under madrone and live oak — one of the most sought-after wild mushrooms on the West Coast.

Mycorrhizal Edible

White Chanterelle

Cantharellus subalbidus

A creamy-white chanterelle found in mixed madrone-conifer forests, especially in southern Oregon and northern California. Less common than the golden chanterelle but equally prized for its firm texture and mild flavor.

Mycorrhizal Edible

Fly Agaric

Amanita muscaria

The red-and-white toadstool is a common mycorrhizal partner of madrone, especially along forest edges and in drier sites. A familiar sight under madrone canopy in fall.

Mycorrhizal

Western Matsutake

Tricholoma murrillianum

An occasional associate of madrone in drier mixed forests. The distinctive spicy-cinnamon aroma is unmistakable. More commonly found under conifers, but madrone stands can produce them in the right conditions.

Mycorrhizal Choice Edible