Madrone Bark Tea
A Toasty Tea for Fall
by Torrey Douglass
The Madrone tree ( Arbutus menziesii) stands out in the forest like a peacock among chickens. Muscular branches, decked out in shiny bunches of deep green leaves, are wrapped in smooth, red-brown bark and arc gracefully toward whatever direction delivers the sunlight. In springtime, clusters of small white flowers appear before becoming bunches of tiny, scarlet berries. And sometime in late summer, that red-brown bark starts to peel away in papery curls as the tree sheds its old bark to reveal its new, light green skin—definitely the best Hulk impression in the forest.
The bark falls of its own accord, so it can be collected without harming the tree and made into a mellow, woodsy-flavored tea with notes of cinnamon and smoke. It was traditionally used to soothe upset stomachs and treat colds. Earthy and comforting, this is a great autumn sipper to warm your bones as the earth spins away from the sun and cooler temperatures nudge aside summer’s memory.
Madrone Bark Tea
Gather the bark curls beneath the tree at the end of the afternoon when they’ve had all day to dry. Take a bunch of clean, dry bark curls and crush them with your hands into smaller pieces. Place them in a wire sieve and shake gently to get the tiny pieces out prior to using them.
Put about 1/4 cup of bark in a teapot and add 2 cups of boiling water, then let steep for 5 minutes. (Some folks boil the bark in the water, but that can generate strong tannic flavors.) Pour through a tea strainer into a mug and enjoy. Add a little honey if you’re feeling sweet. Store in a mason jar in a dark, cool place for future mugs of happiness.
Original photo by and (c)2007 NaJina McEnany. Photo prepared by User:Ram-Man. Used by permission., CC BY-SA 2.5