A Romance with the Exotic Madrona, Alias of the Arbutus

Book excerpt: Dr. Martin moved north 115 km to Fidalgo Island after he retired from the University of Washington. There he fell in love, not with another woman, but with an exquisite tree called the Madrona, Pacific Madrone, or Arbutus menziesii. This love extended to the other ten Western and Eastern Hemispheres cousins as well. This fascination grew not only for their torturous shapes, colors, seasonal changing traits, and differences but also for the immense size and age of some of the Arbutus menziesii. This book is a romance, adventure, and discovery story. Travel with him to many places in the world and in North America to learn, study, and photograph these trees. Take a mule ride up the Sierra de la Laguna to find the indigenous Madroña in Baja California. Enjoy his misadventures but also unearthing of the history, literature, images, and scientific facts of this magnificent manifestation of nature.