Mayflower Care

Epigaea repens becomes a creeping mat, commonly only 4-6 in. high. The broad, oval, leathery leaves are aromatic and evergreen. A trailing, evergreen plant with sweet-scented pink or white flowers in terminal and axillary clusters on hairy stems. Trumpet-shaped, white to pale pink flowers, also aromatic, are followed by a whitish berry, resembling a raspberry in appearance.For this favorite wildflower with an exquisite fragrance, one must search among the fallen leaves in early spring. It favors exposed sites where the plants are not smothered by leaf litter. It appears to be sensitive to abrupt environmental disturbances, such as lumbering and grazing, which may account for its present scarcity. It is difficult to cultivate. Trailing Arbutus is sometimes referred to as Plymouth Mayflower in reference to the fact that it was the first flower to cheer the hearts of the Pilgrim Fathers after the rigors of their first New England winter.