Rancho San Antonio Refrigerator Trees Get Hot

Arbutus menziesii (11/9/12) John Poimiroo

Arbutus (strawberry tree) (11/9/12) John Poimiroo

Refrigerator trees (madrone) in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Reserve (Los Altos) are warming up with red, orange and yellow in an early display that has local spotters asking whether the drought has contributed to this unseasonal show of fall color.

Wiki.answers.com reports that the madrone (arbutus menziesii) is native to chaparral regions. Its outside layer and leaves use sunlight to photosynthesize nutrients and energy. Since the outside layer of madrone trunks transports water and life-supporting fluids, the trunk of the tree is cold, explaining why madrones are called the refrigerator tree. Madrone do not have a dead layer of bark on their trunks or branches. The entire tree produces energy, including the trunk and branches. Just Starting – Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve

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  1. Sherab says:

    Is your photo from Rancho? Looks more like one of the other Arbutus, unedo or marina, not madrone. Madrones are infrequently planted in landscaping, the others are pretty common.

    • John Poimiroo says:

      No, it’s not. It’s and arbutus, commonly referred to as a strawberry tree. I’ll note on the caption.

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