The trailing arbutus is a lovely spring flower – blooming in April in New Brunswick. The leaves are tough and leathery and can be found spreading out on the ground just as the snow melts. It is a perennial shrub in the Heath family, Ericaceae. It is found in acidic sandy or rocky soils, in shady areas usually with some pine trees nearby. The flowers are bell-shaped with five, sweet-scented white to light pink petals. One has to get down on the ground with your nose as close to the flowers as possible to really appreciate the beauty of this plant.
Please do not pick this plant. It will not survive if the roots are disturbed and it is a slow-growing plant. It is disappearing in the Northeast of North America.
The scientific name Epigaea repens is from the Greek, epi = upon; gaia = the earth. The epithet repens is trailing or creeping.
Source: Canadian Botanical Association Bulletin, March 2007, Vol.1, No.1.
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