Names: kah waht c’oo, Pacific Madrone, Arbutus menziesii

Native American uses: Berries were eaten as food and cider and were also dried used as beads, and decorations. They used its bark for medicinal purposes, creating teas to treat colds, sore throats, and skin sores; they also chewed the leaves to relieve stomach aches and cramps; some Tribes even used the berries as bait for fishing.

Bird Uses: Pacific madrone trees provide edible berries and habitat for many bird species including American Robins, Cedar Waxwings and Bandtailed Pigeons, Varied Thrush, and CA Quail. The trees provide perches and nesting places for many bird species. Cavity nesting birds that utilize Pacific madrone are Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Mountain Chickadees, House Wrens, and Western Bluebirds and several woodpecker species.