Specimen record
Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens
Conservation note
State flower of Massachusetts. Protected by state law — do not collect. Photograph only. Populations have declined dramatically from historical over-picking.
Description
One of the earliest spring-blooming wildflowers and the state flower of Massachusetts, trailing arbutus produces clusters of small, intensely fragrant pink-white flowers close to the ground among last year's leaf litter. This creeping evergreen subshrub grows on acidic, sandy soils in pine-oak forests. It has declined significantly due to over-collection and habitat disturbance.
Identification tips
- 1Small tubular pink to white flowers in clusters, extremely fragrant
- 2Leathery, oval evergreen leaves that lie flat on the ground
- 3Stems trailing and hairy, creeping along the forest floor
- 4Blooms very early (April) often hidden under dead leaves
- 5Found on sandy, acidic soils under pines and oaks
Specimen & preservation notes
DO NOT COLLECT — this is the Massachusetts state flower and is protected. Photograph only. If a naturally detached fragment is found, it may be pressed, but never uproot or cut living plants. The plant has a fragile root system and rarely survives disturbance.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into May.
Flowering records: 791 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 44 observations within 25 km