Name: Epigaea repens, aka trailing arbutus or mayflower
Type of Plant: Low-growing, evergreen native plant that has small, pinkish-white flowers in April or May. This is the Massachusetts State Flower.
Why I Love/Hate this plant: I love this plant because it looks great twelve months a year, and grows beautifully in with moss and wintergreen. This is a great plant to watch for in the winter. The tiny white flowers are fragrant, but you’d have to practically lie down to smell them since the plant is so low to the ground.
A Word to the Wise: Do not even think about digging this out of the wild…it’s a protected plant! But if you have a woodland garden, and like planting native plants, you can purchase these plants online and from many garden centers.
Here is how the trailing arbutus looks in December on Cape Cod.
The flowers are smaller around than a dime, and they appear in the early spring.
Where in Canada, preferably Ontario, can I buy trailing arbutus?
Since I’m not in Canada, I have no idea. Try calling local garden centers, contacting wildflower groups etc.
I haven’t been able to find this plant online, and none of my local garden centers carry it. Can you suggest sources? I am in Tennessee. Thanks.
When I googled it, this site came up: https://www.bluestemnatives.com/product-page/epigaea-repens-trailing-arbutus