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Epigaea repens
Also called Ground Laurel, Mayflower, Gravelroot, Creeping Mayflower
Trailing arbutus is a low, creeping evergreen shrub of the heath family that spreads over the ground in cool, shady, acidic woodland soil. It is famously difficult to grow in gardens and is best left in the wild or established from carefully handled wild-collected stock.
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.
The Algonquin use an infusion of leaves for kidney disorders. The Cherokee use a decoction of the plant to induce vomiting to treat abdominal pain, and they give an infusion of the plant to children for diarrhea. An infusion is also used for the kidneys and for "chest ailment". They also take a compound infusion for indigestion. The Haudenosaunee use a compound for labor pains in parturition, use a compound decoction for rheumatism, take a decoction of the leaves for indigestion, and they also take a decoction of the whole plant or roots, stalks and leaves taken for the kidneys.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Epigaea repens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
