The Arbutus tree, the only native broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada, grows up to 30 meters tall (usually with a crooked or leaning trunk). The bark is thin smooth and reddish brown peeling to expose younger greenish to cinnamon red bark underneath. Arbutus is found on the sites that lack moisture and qenerally occurs within 8 km of the ocean. Because it doesn't like shade, it generally grows on open rocky bluffs with other species such as Garry Oak or Douglas Fir Oceanspray, Oregan grape Baldhip Rose and several herbs and grasses. The flower have a strong honey smell and are very attactive to bees. Arbutus bark is very rich in a substance used for tanning hides. The wood is heavy and hard tends to be brittle and cracks when drying. It is used only for wood working in B.C. Another common name is Madrone, a Spanish word for the strawberry tree of which Arbutus is a close relative. The Scottish Botanist, A. Menzies first collected specimens in 1792 and described it as the Oriental Strawberry Tree.