trailing arbutus

American  

[trey-ling ahr-byoo-tuhs] / ˈtreɪ lɪŋ ɑrˈbyu təs /

noun

1. Also called mayflower.  Also called arbutus.  a creeping eastern North American plant, Epigaea repens, of the heath family, having leathery, oval leaves and terminal clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers: the state flower of Massachusetts.

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trailing arbutus British  

noun

1. Also called: mayflower.  a creeping evergreen ericaceous plant, Epigaea repens , of E North America, having clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers

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Etymology

Origin of trailing arbutus

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

“Epigea” refers to Epigaea repens, commonly known as trailing arbutus or mayflower: a low-growing shrub that produces clusters of pink flowers.

From Slate • May 17, 2016

By 1942, when Johnson retired, the first of Colby's new Georgian buildings blossomed amid the trailing arbutus on Mayflower Hill.

From Time Magazine Archive

Betty came over; she knew some nooks where the trailing arbutus grew and bloomed.

From A Little Girl in Old Boston by Douglas, Amanda Minnie

The trailing arbutus trailed everywhere; the lady slippers grew even in the front dooryard.

From Fireside Stories for Girls in Their Teens by Eggleston, Margaret W. (Margaret White)

Epigaea repens is the trailing arbutus or mayflower of Atlantic America.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various