Mayflower, Trailing arbutus, Ground Laurel
Epigaea repens
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Pink, White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal.
Epigaea repens is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
Damp mossy banks in sandy and peaty woods and clearings, usually under pine trees.
Eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Florida and west to Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Flowers - raw. Fragrant, with a spicy slightly acid flavour, they are eaten as a wayside nibble or are added to salads. Thirst quenching.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Mayflower is rarely used medicinally, even in folk medicine, though it is a strong urinary antiseptic and is one of the most effective remedies for cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, bladder stones and particularly acute catarrhal cystitis. The leaves are astringent, diuretic and tonic. An infusion is made from the dried leaves, or a tincture from the fresh leaves. A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of kidney disorders, stomach aches, bladder disorders etc. It is of special value when the urine contains blood or pus. Use with caution, the plant contains arbutin and, although this is an effective urinary disinfectant, it hydrolyzes to hydroquinone which is toxic. The leaves can be used fresh or can be harvested in the summer and dried for later use.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
Other
Rating: 2
Plants can be grown for ground cover, they should be spaced about 25cm apart each way and form a carpet of growth. This species is probably not very worthwhile for ground cover in Britain because of its difficulty to cultivate.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Rock garden, Woodland garden. Requires an open lime-free humus-rich soil and shade from direct sunlight. Grows well in the shade of other calcifuge plants such as rhododendrons and also under pine trees. A very cold-hardy plant but it is often excited into premature growth by mild winter weather and is then subject to damage by frost. The flower buds require a period of chilling to about 2°c before they will open. The flowers are deliciously and strongly scented with a rich spicy perfume. There are some named varieties, selected for their ornamental value. A difficult plant to grow in cultivation and very hard to transplant successfully. Another report says that although the genus is generally difficult to cultivate, this species is relatively easy to grow. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Fragrant flowers. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. A clumping mat former. Forming a dense prostrate carpet spreading indefinitely. The root pattern is a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots going down and out. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. Another report says that the seed requires no pre-treatment and can be sown in late winter in a cold frame. Surface sow and place the pot in light shade, do not allow it to dry out. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 5 weeks. As soon as they are large enough to handle, pot up the seedlings into individual pots. Be very careful since they strongly resent root disturbance. Grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse and plant them out in their permanent positions in the late spring of their second years growth. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.Take the cutting with a part of the previous year's growth. (This report is unclear as to whether it means a heel of older wood or just a small section of older wood) Plants self-layer and can be divided in the spring but this must be done with great care since they deeply resent root disturbance.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 3-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Moist