Texas Madrone

Texas madrone

Texas madrone is listed as an endangered species by the Texas
Organization for Endangered Species [27].

More info for the term: cover

Texas madrone presumably provides shade and cover for a variety of
wildlife species.

More info for the terms: fruit, shrub, tree

Texas madrone grows as an evergreen tree or, less commonly, as a large
shrub which reaches 20 or 30 feet (0.6-1.1 m) in height [12].  Plants
may reach 40 feet (12 m) in height, 9.3 feet (2.8 m) in girth, and 42
feet (13 m) in crown spread on favorable sites [12,19].  Branches are
usually crooked, stout, and spreading [26].  Bark of Texas madrone is
both unique and attractive.  Older bark is dark brown, gray, or black
and exfoliates annually in papery layers to expose colorful new
"skinlike" bark [2,12,26].  New bark may be white, orange, pink,
apricot, tan, or dark red [22,26].

The simple, alternate leaves of Texas madrone are thick and leathery
[12,22,26].  Leaves are oblong to elliptic ovate to oval, dark green
above and paler beneath [22,26].  The upper surface is glabrous, whereas
the lower surface is glabrous or somewhat pubescent [26].

Small, urn-shaped white or pinkish-white blossoms occur in clusters or
panicles approximately 3 inches (8 cm) in length [12,22].  Fruits are
nearly round, warty "berries" 0.25 to 0.3 inch (6-8 mm) in diameter
[19,26].  Berries are bright red, yellow-orange, or yellow [22,26] and
are borne in 2- to 3-inch (5-8 cm) clusters [26].  Each fruit contains 1
to 10 small white seeds [26,31].

Texas madrone grows from the Edwards Plateau of south-central Texas to
Trans-Pecos Texas and southeastern New Mexico [12].  It occurs southward
through Mexico into Guatemala [12].

More info for the terms: fire regime, forest, grassland, presence, seed, shrubland, shrubs, woodland

Texas madrone occurs in a variety of riparian woodland communities which
burn infrequently.  In many areas, the narrow canyon forest contrast
strikingly with adjacent desert grassland or shrubland communities [5].
Evidence suggests that recurrent fires in the much drier desert
grassland types may have eliminated invading shrubs and trees [13].

Texas madrone also grows in moist forest communities of the Chisos
Mountains of Texas in which fire-scarred trees are commonly observed
[8].  The presence of both seedlings and mature (2 to 6 inch d.b.h.
[5-15 cm]) individuals in these stands suggest that this species may
possess attributes which permit survival in fire-prone environments.

Limited establishment may occur on favorable sites from bird-dispersed
seed originating on adjacent unburned sites.  Postfire sprouting has not
been documented, although stump-sprouting has been reported after
mechanical removal [31].

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

More info for the terms: cover, prescribed fire

Bock and Bock [2] report that prescribed fire is "difficult to manage
and potentially very destructive" in established riparian woodlands of
the Southwest.  These relatively rare and fragile areas provide
important food and cover for desert wildlife [21].  Because browse and
cover are often limited in these areas, burning is not generally
recommended [21].

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More info for the term: phanerophyte

   Undisturbed State:  Phanerophyte (microphanerophyte)
   Undisturbed State:  Phanerophyte (mesophanerophyte)

More info for the terms: woodland, xeric

Texas madrone grows in wooded canyons, on slopes of desert mountains,
along dry creekbeds, and in foothill drainages with water present
[12,19].  It grows well in full sun on xeric sites [22,26].  Texas
madrone is a common component of closed-canopy canyon forests and
densely wooded stands which occur at the head of canyons [11].
Scattered individuals occur in oak-pinyon-juniper and Madrean evergreen
woodlands, interior chaparral, and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
communities [3,4,12,19,29,30].

Plant associates:  Common associates include the live oaks (Quercus
spp.), Graves oak (Q. gravesii), alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana),
Ashe juniper (J. ashei), Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroides), ponderosa
pine, and cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) [8,12].  Eastern cottonwood
(Populus deltoides), coyote willow (Salix exigua), gray oak (Quercus
grisea), bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum), and ash (Fraxinus spp.)
frequently occur with Texas madrone in riparian woodland communities
[4].

Soils:  Texas madrone grows on well-drained slightly acidic to alkaline
soils [22].  Soil pH commonly ranges from 7.5 to 7.8 [22].  Soils are
often derived from limestone or igneous parent materials [26].

Climate:  Average precipitation ranges from 16 to 30 inches (41-72 cm)
annually [31].

Elevation:  In Trans-Pecos Texas, Texas madrone grows from 4,000 to
7,500 feet (1,219-2,286 m) in elevation [19].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

    66  Ashe juniper - redberry (Pinchot) juniper
    68  Mesquite
   235  Cottonwood - willow
   239  Pinyon - juniper
   240  Arizona cypress
   241  Western live oak
   242  Mesquite

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

   FRES21  Ponderosa pine
   FRES28  Western hardwoods
   FRES32  Texas savanna
   FRES34  Chaparral - mountain shrub
   FRES35  Pinyon - juniper

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: forest

   K018  Pine - Douglas-fir forest
   K023  Juniper - pinyon woodlands
   K031  Oak - juniper woodlands
   K060  Mesquite savanna
   K061  Mesquite - acacia savanna
   K062  Mesquite - live oak savanna

More info for the terms: forest, presence, severity

Little is known about the effects of fire on Texas madrone.  Mature
individuals were reported in forest communities of the Chisos Mountains
of Texas which had burned at periodic intervals during the last 50 years
[8].  This may indicate the presence of morphological adaptations which
permit survival.  Alternately, fuels may have been discontinuous or
light and the burns patchy or of low severity.

More info for the term: fruit

Texas madrone is utilized by both livestock and wildlife [23].  Small
plants with accessible foliage are lightly browsed by cattle [12,26].
Use by domestic goats may be heavy in some areas [19,26].  The sweet
fruit of Texas madrone is eaten by many species of birds [19,26].

Texas madrone is listed as a dominant or indicator in the following
community type (cts) classification:

Area                    Classification          Authority

TX: Brewster Co.        general veg. cts        Denyes 1956

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Tree-shrub

Grazing:  Texas madrone is becoming increasingly rare.  Older, larger
trees are dying, and few seedlings and young trees exist [23].
Seedlings are particularly rare wherever livestock are present [12],
presumably because of the combined effects of browsing and trampling.
Managers interested in preserving this unique species may wish to
protect the few locations in which seedlings have been found.

Damage/disease: Many insects, including the European bark beetle, attack
Texas madrone [9].  This plant is also susceptible to a condition in
which large limbs turn black and the foliage soon dies [12].  The causal
agent has not been identified.

Fertilizer:  Heavy applications of fertilizer can kill Texas madrone by
drawing water from the roots [31].

     NM  TX  MEXICO

Texas madrone can be grown as an ornamental and is occasionally used in
landscaping [19].  The attractive leaves and flowers make it well suited
for individual or mixed plantings [23].  The leaves and bark are
astringent and are used medicinally in parts of Mexico [26].

Browse of Texas madrone is at least somewhat palatable to cattle and
highly palatable to domestic goats [26].  Berries are palatable to many
species of birds [19].

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More info for the term: vines

Texas madrone flowers in early spring and berries ripen during the fall
[22].  Generalized flowering and fruiting dates by geographic location
are as follows:

location             flowering            fruiting          authority

Trans-Pecos TX       Feb. - April         ----              Powell 1988

SW                   Feb. - March         ----              Vines 1960

TX                   late Feb. -          Oct. - Dec.       Hardesty and
                     early March                            Whitenberg
                                                            1976

More info for the term: seed

The response of Texas madrone to fire has not been documented.  Vigorous
stump-sprouting has been reported after mechanical removal [31], but
postfire sprouting has not been reported.  Since Texas madrone is
relatively rare and fire uncommon in many communities in which it
occurs, lack of published accounts may not necessarily rule out the
possibility of postfire sprouting.  Seed is produced in abundance [26]
and is widely dispersed by birds [19].  Very limited seedling
establishment may occur on favorable sites.

More info for the term: seed

   off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2

More info for the terms: layering, natural, seed

Seed:  Little is known about reproduction of Texas madrone [12].
However, this species is characterized by a low reproductive rate [23].
Seed is produced in abundance [26] and widely dispersed [19], but
seedlings are extremely rare.  Small numbers of seedlings have been
observed in Gardner State Park, the Guadalupe Mountains, and near
Devil's Backbone in Hays County, Texas [12].  A unique population of
several hundred seedlings reportedly exists near Vanderpool, Texas.

Germination:  If seed remains moist, germination can begin within 7 to
14 days [12].  Seedlings exhibit best early growth under a 12-hour
photoperiod at daytime temperatures of 81 degrees F (27 degrees C) and
nighttime temperatures of 64 degrees F (18 degrees C) [27,28].  Good
growth occurs at 60 to 70 percent relative humidity at a light intensity
of 6,500 to 10,000 lux [28].  At higher light intensities, growth may be
reduced by photo-bleaching of chlorophyll [27].  The effects of higher
light intensities may be somewhat mitigated under natural conditions if
soil moisture remains high [27].  Under ideal laboratory conditions,
germination can range from 20 to 90 percent [31].

Nurse trees:  On the Edwards Plateau, seedlings are most often found at
the base of junipers where juniper mulch is fairly thick [27].  Other
species can also serve as "nurse trees", but seedlings are rarely if
ever found beneath older madrones [12].  The partial shade of the nurse
trees reduces water stress and allows seedlings to survive despite dry
conditions [28].  The heavy mulch also promotes survival by holding
water.

Vegetative regeneration:  Under laboratory conditions, plants may be
propagated by cutting, layering, and budding [26].  Stump-sprouts have
been reported under natural conditions [31].

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

   13  Rocky Mountain Piedmont
   14  Great Plains

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More info for the terms: climax, woodland

Texas madrone is characterized by a low reproductive rate and slow
growth [23].  It occurs in relatively undisturbed climax riparian
woodland communities.  However, little is known about its successional
role in other communities in which it occurs.

Arbutus texana Buckl. [26]

The current scientific name of Texas madrone is Arbutus xalapensis
Kunth (Ericaceae) [14,17,32,33].

More info for the terms: layering, natural, seed

Texas madrone can be propagated by cutting, layering, or budding
[26,31].  Plants can also be grown from seed, although light and soil
moisture requirements are exacting [12,27,28,31].  After more than 10
years of experimentation, only 2 of 10,000 seeds planted in carefully
controlled greenhouse conditions actually germinated and became
established [12,31].  Fortunately, newly developed laboratory techniques
have greatly improved seedling survival rates [27,28,31] [see
Regeneration].  Researchers recommend selecting seeds carefully, using
sterilized soil and distilled or deionized water, supplementing natural
sunlight with artificial light to extend daylength, and carefully
controlling fungus [12].  Seedlings should never be exposed to direct
sunlight until well conditioned.  Details on seed handling and planting
techniques are available [12,27,28,31].  Texas madrone is difficult to
transplant [12].

More info for the term: fuel

Wood of Texas madrone is reddish-brown, hard, heavy, and close grained
[26].  Sapwood is light in color.  The wood is easily worked and
colorful [16] and reportedly has some commercial value [25].  It has
been used to make tool handles, rollers, fuel, and charcoal for gun
powder [26].

Arbutus glandulosa Mart. & Gal. Bull. Acad. Brux. 9^: 533
1842.
Arbutus densiflora Benth. PI. Hartw. 15. 1839. Not A. densiflora H.B.K. 1819. Arhutus villosa Willd.; Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 72. 1851.
A tree, the branchlets glandular-hirsute ; leaves bright-green, the blades oblong, lanceolate,
or ovate, or individually oval, 2.5-8 cm. long, acute or abruptly shortacuminate, ciliate or
ciliate-serrulate, inconspicuously pubescent above, more copiously pubescent beneath, rounded
or cordate at the base, long-petioled ; panicles dense, 2-8 cm. long, the rachis and pedicels
glandular-hirsute; calyx 5-6 mm. wide, the lobes broadly ovate or deltoid, obtuse or acutish;
corolla about 8 mm. long; stamens 3-4 mm. long, the filaments villous; berries not seen.
TsTPE locality: Ejutla, Oaxaca. Distribution: Middle and southern Mexico.

Arbutus donnell-smithii Small, sp. nov
A shrub with tomentulose twigs; leaf -blades ovate or oval-ovate, 3-6 cm. long, roimded
or abruptly pointed at the apex, irregularly incised-serrulate, sparingly pubescent above, at
least when young, tomentulose beneath, mostly truncate or cordate at the base, short-petioled ;
panicles dense, the rachis and branches tomentulose and glandular; calyx 5-6 mm. wide, the
lobes ovate, often broadly so, obtuse, pubescent and ciliolate; corolla 6-7 mm. long; stamens
2-2.5 mm. long, the filaments long-villous at the greatly dilated base; berries not seen.
Type collected at San Lucas, Department of Zacatepequez, Guatemala, April 1890, /. Donnell Smith 2190 (herb. Columbia Univ.). Distribution: Guatemala.

Arbutus xalapensis H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 279. 1819
? Arbutus densiflora H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 280. 1819.
? Arbutus petiolaris H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 281. 1819.
Arbutus laurifolia Lindl. Bot. Reg. 25: pi. 67. 1839.
Arbutus rubescens Bertol. Novi Comm. Acad. Bonon. 4: 420. 1840.
Arbutus xalapensis pubescens Benth. PI. Hartw. 66. 1840.
Arbutus varians Benth. PI. Hartw. 77. 1841.
? Arbutus fioribunda Mart. & Gal. Bull. Acad. Brux. 9^: 534. 1842.
? Arbutus macrophylla Mart. & Gal. Bull. Acad. Brux. 9^: 534. 1842.
? Arbutus paniculata Mart. & Gal. Bull. Acad. Brux. 9^: 535. 1842.
Comarostaphylis rubescens Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 77. 1851.
Arbutus texana Buckl. Proc. Acad. Phila. 1861: 460. 1862.
Arctostaphylos rubescens Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Am. Bot. 2: 279. 1881.
Arbutus xalapensis texana A. Gray, Syn. Fl. N. Am. ed. 2, 2^: 397. 1886.
? Arbutus xalapensis petiolaris I^esener, Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 3: 219. 1903.
A tree mostly 15 m, tall or less, or a shrub, the bark of the trunk dark-brown or nearly black, the branchlets reddish; leaves deep-green, or pale beneath, the blades ovate, oval, or broadly oblong, varying to oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 4-1 1 cm. long, obtuse, abruptly pointed, or acute, entire or denticulate, abruptly narrowed, truncate, or subcordate at the base, glabrous or canescent or tomentose beneath, sometimes only along the midrib, at maturity, rather long-petioled ; panicles 3-8 cm. long, the rachis and pedicels densely finepubescent, tomentose, canescent, or tomentulose, with or without some glandular hairs ; calyx 4-6 mm. wide, the lobes suborbicular to orbicular-ovate, obtuse; corolla 7-8 mm. long, or rarely larger; stamens 3.5-4 mm. long, the filaments villous; ovary pubescent; berries globose or depressed, 8-12 mm. long, red.
Type locality: Near Xalapa, Vera Cruz.
Distribution: Western Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala.

Arbutus laurina Mart. & Gal. Bull. Acad. Brux. 9^: 535. 1842
A tree, the branchlets glabrous or puberulent, red; leaves deep-green, the blades ovateoblong to oblong, 2-9 cm. long, obtuse or acutish, serrate with cartilaginous-tipped teeth, glabrous and somewhat shining above, pubescent, especially along the midrib, beneath, abruptly narrowed or rounded at the base, rather long-petioled ; panicles 4-8 cm. long, clustered. the rachis and pedicels villous-tomentose ; calyx 5-6 mm. wide, the lobes ovate, obtuse; corolla 6-7 mm. long; stamens 2.5-3 mm. long, the filaments villous; berries not seen.
Type IvOCAI^ity: Yavezia, Oaxaca. Distribution: Southern Mexico.

Arbutus mollis H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 280. 1819
A tree, the branchlets finely soft-pubescent; leaves deep-green, the blades oblong, often narrowly so, varying to broadest above or below the middle, 4-11 cm. long, or sometimes individually smaller, acute or obtuse, serrulate or shallowly serrate, finely and thinly pubescent above, reddish or brownish, canescent-tomentose beneath, attenuate or rounded at the base, rather long-petioled; panicles densely flowered, 3-6 cm. long, clustered, the rachis and pedicels tomentulose; calyx 6-7 mm. wide, the lobes ovate, obtuse or acutish; corolla 8-9 mm. long; stamens 3.5-4 mm. long, the filaments villous; berries not seen.
Type locality: Near Guanajuato, Guanajuato. Distribution: Central Mexico.

Arbutus occidentalis or the Mexican Madrone is a small tree species in the heath family, that is endemic to Mexico. It is only known from a few areas in Western Mexico where it grows on rocky slopes. It produces red edible berries that are valuable food to wildlife.