Trailing Arbutus is a native woodland sub-shrub in the Heath Family that grows as an evergreen mat in sandy to peaty woods and clearings. It grows best in part shade in dry to moist, acidic, sandy to rocky soils with moderate organic matter. In early spring delicate pink to white fragrant flowers appear in clusters. It is becoming endangered in several states. Trailing Arbutus has delicate roots and is very difficult to establish and perpetuate. It will not tolerate disturbance, is extremely susceptible to failure during drought or flood, and is slow-growing even in good conditions. It is best not to try to transplant it from the wild as it will most likely die. Conditions must be perfect for seeds to grow and they can be slow to germinate. It is also called the Plymouth Mayflower as it is said it was the first flower the settlers saw blooming in spring after their first hard winter.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 4 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 4 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
2- 4inch long and 1-2 inch wide bright green leathery oval leaves. The base of the leaf may be rounded or heart-shaped. The leaf edges have stiff, rusty-colored hairs. The margins are smooth and may be wavy.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Clusters of 1/2 inch fragrant, tubular, five-petaled, white to pink flowers bloom from February to May.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit detail
Whitish berry, resembling a raspberry in appearance. displays from April to June.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Woody, trailing, hairy stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & E. Canada to N. Central & E. U.S.A
Distribution
USA: AL , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Wildlife value
Host plant to Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polia) butterfly. Birds will eat the seeds.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Play value
Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Flowers
Harvest time
Spring
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Flowers are edible but the plant is protected in some states and they should not be picked.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The Algonquin used an infusion of the leaves for kidney disorders. The Cherokee took a decoction of the plant for abdominal pains. The Iroquois treated rheumatism with a compound decoction of the plant.