Stand in a clump of Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) or madrona trees during a winter storm, the trunks wet and luscious, creamy green and burnished red, and feast on the beauty. Children pull off the beckoning curly bark strips and stroke the underlying pale green bark, smooth and soothing. Mature trees can support many bark colors and textures: the older rough brown-gray squares, dark weathered curlicues, strips of fresh reds, and the young apple-green bark.  Every summer, madrone trees shed older bark, sloughing off flecks, and puzzle pieces, decorating the forest floor.