Massachusetts State Flower

Massachusetts State Flower

Mayflower or Trailing-Arbutus
Epigaea repens

Trailing arbutus or mayflower (Epigaea repens), also commonly known as the ground laurel is the official state flower of Massachusetts. It was adopted as the official flower of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the General Court on May 1, 1918.

The trailing arbutus has ovate hairy leaves and fragrant, pink or white, spring-blooming flowers with five petals. It grows in woods, preferring sandy or rocky soil, under or near evergreens. 

Other common names include the mayflower, shad-flower, ground laurel, mountain pink or winter pink. The habitat and range for trailing- arbutus is that it spreads out on the ground in sandy soil.

Trailing arbutus have rust-colored, hairy twigs bearing leathery and evergreen leaves from 1 to 3 inches long and about half as wide. The flower clusters, which appear from March to May, consist of fragrant, delicate, shell pink, waxy blossoms. Unfortunately, since 1925 it has been on the endangered list.