Snug against the New Mexico border in West Texas sits Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The mountain ridges have the highest peaks in Texas including Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 feet. The limestone mountains are the remains of a massive coral reef that grew at the edge of the ocean when the land nearby was the supercontinent of Pangea 250 million years ago.
While not nearly that old, the Texas madrone tree is a relic that is found only on slopes between 4,500 and 6,500 feet. It has relatives that go as far north as British Columbia, but the Texan ones may have stayed after the Ice Age retreated. Whatever their history, the trees stopped me in my tracks while hiking—and not only for the shade they provided in the desert heat, but their striking character and beauty. Since this was once an underwater reef, this tree could resemble a fan coral waving deep in the ocean.
Much of the Chihuahuan desert has muted colors of grey, greens, and brown, so the tree’s remarkable glowing orange jumps out even across a mountain valley. A local name for the tree is Manzanita, which is “little apple.” Or if you prefer Latin, Arbutus texana.
The tree’s bark does not expand as it grows. Instead it cracks and breaks away—providing one of its many nicknames—The Peeling Tree.
One of the other names the tree has is Lady’s Leg. Indigenous peoples used the beautiful wood for bowls, spoons and other tools. The high tannin content led it to be used to tan hides and the fruit can be eaten or used to create alcoholic drinks. Interestingly, the tree is part of the Heath family and so is closely related to blueberries, cranberries, and azaleas.
The tree’s fruit looks, and apparently even tastes, like strawberry, and so it gets another name — The Strawberry Tree. These cousins are found in the Mediterranean, and the Strawberry Tree is the symbol of the city of Madrid, Spain. The Texas madrone is apparently very difficult to prorogate, and frustrates gardeners who try to grow it. We were frustrated because a fire that started in the park by a lightening strike on May 11 closed most of the trails.
A couple rangers and pack horse came down the trail from the fire. If you look carefully at Ranger McBride’s magnificent beard, it’s even the color of the madrone tree. While the firefighters’ efforts have significantly contained the fire, 2,000 acres are still burning today keeping many of the trails closed.
The madrone also faces risks from a fungus that blackens their limbs. Climate change certainly creates risks for a tree that thrives in such a narrow niche. This tree below, which might be a century old, seems to be losing the fight, yet it remains a beautiful desert wonder.
