Madrone

Arbustus menziesii, by Lake Shasta in northern California, with wet shiny bark from the drizzly day. Madrone (aka madrona) is a characteristic tree of the wetter forests from northern California to southern British Columbia. The smooth, red bark, which tends to peel like paper, is characteristic. It makes good fuelwood because it's dense, but it's no good for lumber due to warping and cracking. Its resemblance to the shrub manzanita (genus Arctylstaphylos) is not accidental as both genera are in the same subfamily. Manzanita prefers dryer conditions but also has smooth, red, peeling bark, and species are found thruout the semiarid western US.