My Husband & I Recently Moved To Maple Ridge Bc From Atlanta Ga. The House We Purchased Has An Arbutus Tree In The Back Yard. Our Neighbors Tell Us This Is Very Unusual For The Area. The Tree Stands Approximately 30 Feet Tall And Use To Have Tall Fur Trees All Around It. The Fur Trees Were Cut Down Some Time Last Year As A Result Of A Desease. The Arbutus Still Stands But We Are Not Sure Of Its Survival Without The Protection It Had From The Fur Trees. The Arbutus Bloomed In The Spring.the Tree Bark Is Reddish/brown/green It Looks Like The Pictures I've Seen On This Web Site. It Is Located Up On A Mound So It Seems To Have Good Drainage. My Concern Now Are The Leaves I Can't Tell If They Are Healthy Looking Or Not. Should We Plant Other Kinds Of Fur Trees To Protect It Or Just Leave It And See What Happens During The Summer Months? Jm, Maple Ridge
Probably happier without the shade from the firs. To evaluate condition you need opinion of local expert who can examine tree in person.
You're right about Arbutus menziesii being rare in your area. They are abudant in mainly rocky areas like West Vancouver, up the Sunshine Coast and here on S.E. Vancouver Island. It may be adjusting to more sunlight levels but will be fine. Planting more Fir trees for shade? They'd have to be awefully tall to shade a 30' tree. Anytime now, it will begin the annual ritual of shedding older leaves as new ones grow on. So don't worry if you begin to see yellowing and falling leaves. The berries will ripen in autumn to a bright orange to red color and birds will feed on them. Welcome to British Columbia. Cheers, LPN.
May not be happier without the firs - it's a matter of timing on the removals. We have a 40" diameter trunk madrone, about 70 feet tall, with a bad sunburn damage on the trunk, because other trees were removed next to it. It all depends on when the firs were removed, and what side or sides they were on.
