The Mayflower, also known as the trailing strawberry tree, ground laurel, or winter rose, is the state flower of Massachusetts. It is a low-growing shrub with pink or white fragrant flowers that prefers sandy or rocky soil. The Massachusetts Board of Education allowed school children to vote on the state flower, and the Mayflower won by over 50,000 votes. The plant is evergreen, perennial, and has leathery leaves. It flowers from March to May and produces a small purple fruit that ants collect and eat, leaving the seeds to grow into new plants.
The Mayflower is the state flower of Massachusetts. This flower is known by several other common names, such as trailing strawberry tree, ground laurel, or winter rose, but its species name is Epigaea repens. The Mayflower is actually a shrub that grows low to the ground and prefers sandy or rocky soil. The flowers on the shrub are usually pink or white and produce a fragrant scent. The Mayflower has been the official state flower of Massachusetts since 1918.
In the early 1900s, several banknotes were introduced to name a Massachusetts state flower. Some of these, including one presented by Rep. Myles O’Brien, Jr., spoke out in favor of the Mayflower. Other accounts proposed different flowers, including one for the water lily. Ultimately, none of these laws passed, and the state of Massachusetts turned responsibility for choosing a state flower to its Department of Agriculture. It appears that this department did not want the job, as it turned the responsibility over to the state Board of Education.
Instead of enlisting its officials to choose, the Board of Education decided to allow school children to vote on Massachusetts’ state flower. The two front runners in the voting were the Mayflower and the Waterlily, but the Mayflower won by over 50,000 votes. More than 100,000 children voted for the mayflower, while nearly 50,000 named the water lily as their favourite. The Massachusetts General Court went on to name the mayflower the official state flower in 1918. Seven years later, in 1925, the flower was added to an official list of endangered plants.
The Mayflower plant grows low to the ground in a manner often described as spreading and has a stem that can exceed 6 feet (about 1.82 meters) in length. It is perennial, which means it can grow for more than one season; evergreen; and has leathery leaves. The shrubs grow in clusters and flower from March to May.
Mayflower blooms are typically described as shell pink or white and can be found on the short shoots of the plants. A small purple fruit also grows on this plant which ripens within about six weeks of pollination. The ants collect the pulp from the fruit and eat it, but leave the seeds underground where they grow into new plants. Other insects and birds also eat the pulp or seeds of this plant.
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