Bloomipedia
Trailing arbutus (mayflower) (Epigaea repens)
Photo: Steven Lamonde via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Trailing arbutus (mayflower)

Epigaea repens

Trailing arbutus (mayflower) (Epigaea repens) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

★ 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 where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
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.

  • 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 #51 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,825 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #106 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,811 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #26 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (6,507 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
MassachusettsNativeApril–May2,610
North CarolinaNativeMarch–April1,825
New HampshireNativeApril–May1,811
MaineNativeApril–May1,475
West VirginiaNativeMarch–April395

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
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 5 states.
See each state
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.

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.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 676 counties across 26 states; the most are in Virginia (91), North Carolina (67), Pennsylvania (66).

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More Massachusetts flowers

Striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: July
Ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: June–September
Eastern teaberry (wintergreen) (Gaultheria procumbens)

Eastern teaberry (wintergreen)

Gaultheria procumbens

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: July

Sources