Flower profile

Trailing arbutus (mayflower)

Epigaea repens

★ Official state flower of Massachusetts (1918)Native in the lower 48

Trailing arbutus (mayflower) is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

28states

5of our state lists

19,151U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, West Virginia

🏅

Massachusetts's official state flower since 1918. Visit the Massachusetts page → ^{M.G.L. c. 2, § 7}

Quick look

Epigaea repens, the mayflower, trailing arbutus, or ground laurel, is a perennial, spreading shrub in the family Ericaceae. It is found from Newfoundland to Florida, west to Kentucky and into the Northwest Territories. It is the provincial flower of Nova Scotia.
From Wikipedia's article Epigaea repens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 28 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Maine and West Virginia. ^NatureServe
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,610 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #49 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,825 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #102 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,811 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #26 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

Trailing arbutus gift ideas

Handmade trailing arbutus gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Trailing arbutus art print
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Trailing arbutus embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (6,507 records)

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Massachusetts	Native	April–May	2,610
North Carolina	Native	March–April	1,825
New Hampshire	Native	April–May	1,811
Maine	Native	April–May	1,475
West Virginia	Native	March–May	395

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Flowers are edible but the plant is protected in some states and they should not be picked.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records trailing arbutus (mayflower) in 28 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Wake, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, Yancey.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

More Massachusetts flowers

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: June–September

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: July

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

★ CT state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in MA: June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EPRE2.
iNaturalist, Epigaea repens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Epigaea repens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
M.G.L. c. 2, § 7: Massachusetts state flower.
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Epigaea repens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Steven Lamonde via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.