Trailing Arbutus I wandered lonely where the pine-trees made Against the bitter East their barricade, And,

guided by its sweet Perfume, I found, within a narrow dell, The trailing spring flower tinted like a shell Amid dry leaves and mosses at my feet. From under dead boughs, for whose loss the pines Moaned ceaseless overhead, the blossoming vines Lifted their glad surprise, While yet the bluebird smoothed in leafless trees His feathers ruffled by the chill sea-breeze, And snow-drifts lingered under April skies. As, pausing, o'er the lonely flower I bent, I thought of lives thus lowly, clogged and pent, Which yet find room, Through care and cumber, coldness and decay, To lend a sweetness to the ungenial day And make the sad earth happier for their bloom. John Greenleaf Whittier

Trailing Arbutus by Albert Laighton (1829-87) Dear, lovely flower, whose fragrant lips unclose To breathe a benediction to the Spring, Soon as the blue-bird and the robin sing; Sweetest and best that in the woodland grows; Flushed like the morn, or white as drifted snows; I love thee as a herald of the hours That bring the beauteous train of forest flowers, And all fair things God's loving hand bestows.

But most for her sweet sake who held thee dear; Who, in glad Springs, roamed with me hand in band These mossy paths where now alone I stray; And yet whose gentle presence seems so near, I half forget her angel feet to-day Walk the green pastures of the better land

Flower like fairies at play Bring you my greetings today Trailing Arbutus, sweetest of flowers I send to make sweeter your Easter hours

Epigaea repens known as mayflower or trailing arbutus is a low, spreading shrub in the Ericaceae family. It is found from Newfoundland to Florida, west to Kentucky and the Northwest Territories. The species flowers are pink, fading to nearly white, very fragrant, about 12 inches (1.3 cm) across when expanded, few or many in clusters at ends of branches. Calyx of 5 dry overlapping sepals; corolla salver-shaped, the slender, hairy tube spreading into 5 equal lobes; 10 stamens; 1 pistil with a column-like style and a 5-lobed stigma. Stem: Spreading over the ground (Epigaea = on the earth); woody, the leafy twigs covered with rusty hairs. Leaves: Alternate, oval, rounded at the base, smooth above, more or less hairy below, evergreen, weather-worn, on short, rusty, hairy petioles. Slow growing, it prefers moist, acidic (humus-rich) soil, and shade. It is often part of the heath complex in an oak-heath forest. [1][2] Epigaea repens is the floral emblem of both Nova Scotia and Massachusetts. Curiously, the lower part of the flower petal of Epigaea repens tastes remarkably similar to lychee fruit

Scientific Name: Epigaea repens - The genus name is from the Greek epi meaning 'on' and gaea, meaning 'earth'; repens is Greek for trailing or creeping; the emphasis is again on a plant that extends along the ground. The cultural relevance of the Trailing Arbutus belies its seeming insignificance as a diminutive shrub with ephemeral flowers that lies close to the ground, typically buried under leaf litter. Though the story may be apocryphal, it was supposedly named the Mayflower by the Pilgrims. Since the vessel which brought them to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 was also named the Mayflower (which is the English name for the shrubby tree known as hawthorn in North America), there is ample reason to question the veracity of this assertion. The tale is generally embellished with the notion that it was the first flower that the Pilgrims saw after their first and most arduous winter; the name Mayflower a metaphor for their ship which also saw them through danger. The etiology of the folksy version of events is probably the poem The Mayflowers by John Greenleaf Whittier; the Mayflower metaphor linking the ship with the flower being presumably employed for literary effect: Yet, "God be praised!" the Pilgrim said, Who saw the blossoms peer Above the brown leaves, dry and dead "Behold our Mayflower here!" The Trailing Arbutus or Mayflower was accordingly pronounced to be the state flower of Massachusetts in 1918. It is also the provincial flower of Nova Scotia; it embellished the reverse side of the 1856 Victoria penny. E. repens is a noted pharmaceutical, used most generally in the treatment of kidney and urinary disorders. In the King's American Dispensary of 1898 it is noted as "a very valuable American remedy, and is highly beneficial in ... all diseases of the urinary organs attended with vesical (bladder) irritation. It renders the urine less irritating." The name Gravel Plant derives from its use in purging kidney stones; it was sold as a folk remedy for this purpose by the Shakers religious sect. Trailing Arbutus was also used by several Native American tribes in the treatment of kidney disorders. The Cherokee Indians, however, used it to treat indigestion and diarrhea, especially in children and the Iroquois used it to treat joint pain. Its effects are attributed to the glycoside arbutin, which is an effective antiseptic for the urinary tract. However, arbutin hydrolyzes (reacts with water) to produce a toxin called hydroquinone. This toxicity is perhaps the source of the notation in the King's American Dispensary that "cattle that chew this herb are said to be seriously affected by it." One would presume this to refer to a deleterious result. The fragrance of Trailing Arbutus, which is characterized as strong, tropical and unforgettable contributed to its notoriety to both the Pilgrims and the autochthonous Native Americans. It was considered by many tribes to have divine origins, the basis for myths that transcend cultures. The Ottawa Indian version is of an old man who lived alone, praying that he would not succumb to the harsh winter. The winds accordingly blew open the door to his lodge and a beautiful maiden entered whose breath made the air warm and fragrant, causing the old man to fall into a deep sleep. The maiden passed her hand over the old man's head, and he shrank into a small mass, his clothing turning to desiccated leaves. The maiden then took some delicate pink flowers from her

cloak and hid them in the leaves, imparting to them the sweetness of her breath and all of her virtues. As the maiden moved away through the woods, wherever she stepped, and nowhere else, grew the Trailing Arbutus. The popularity of Trailing Arbutus has been its bane as well as its boon. During the early 20th Century, the delicate appearance of the flowers in combination with their olfactory attributes made them a favorite for nosegays. Commercial interests nearly eradicated the plants in much of New England, where they are now protected by law in a number of states. That E. repens is very difficult to transplant and cultivate exacerbates the problem.

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/native_american_legends_explained_at_michigans_sweetgrass_ golf_club "Trailing Arbutus," the par-5 ninth, appropriately reflects the coming of spring. The daughter of Old Man Manito (winter) blows her warm breath every year to melt the snow and ice and the spring flower of trailing arbutus grows in her wake, lining the two majestic waterfalls on this uphill hole.

Origin of our Tribal Flower - The Trailing Arbutus (An Ottawa Legend) Many, many moons ago, there lived an old man alone in his lodge beside a stream in the thick woods. He was heavily clad in furs; for it was winter, and all the world was covered with snow and ice. The winds swept through the woods; searching every bush and tree for birds to chill, and chasing evil spirits over high hills, through tangled swamps, and valleys deep. The old man went about, and peered vainly in the deep snow for pieces of wood to sustain the fire in his lodge. Sitting down by the last dying embers, he cried to Kigi Manito Waw-kwi (the God of Heaven) that he might not perish. The winds howled, and blew aside the door of his lodge, when in came a most beautiful maiden. Her cheeks were like red roses; her eyes were large, and glowed like the fawn's in the moonlight; her hair was long and black as the raven's plumes, and touched the ground as she walked; her hands were covered with willow-buds; on her head were wreaths of wild flowers; her clothing was sweet grass and ferns; her moccasins were fair white lilies; and, when she breathed, the air of the lodge became warm and fragrant. The old man said, "My daughter, I am indeed glad to see you. My lodge is cold and cheerless; yet it will shield you from the tempest. But tell me who you are, that you should come to my lodge in such strange clothing. Come, sit down here, and tell me of your country and your victories, and I will tell you of my exploits. For I am Manito." He then filled two pipes with tobacco, that they might smoke together as they talked. When the smoke had warmed the old man's tongue, again he said, "I am Manito. I blow my breath, and the lakes and streams become flint." The maiden answered, "I breathe, and flowers spring up on all the plains." The old man replied, "I breathe, and the snow covers all the earth." "I shake my tresses," returned the maiden, "and warm rains fall from the clouds." "When I walk about," answered the old man, "leaves wither and fall from the trees. At my command the animals hide themselves in the ground, and the fowls forsake the waters and fly away. Again I say, 'I am Manito.'" The maiden made answer: "When I walk about, the plants lift up their heads, and the naked trees robe themselves in living green; the birds come back; and all who see me sing for joy. Music is everywhere." As they talked the air became warmer and more fragrant in the lodge; and the old man's head drooped upon his breast, and he slept. Then the sun came back, and the bluebirds came to the top of the lodge and sang, "We are thirsty. We are thirsty." And Sebin (the river) replied, "I am free. Come, come and drink." And while the old man was sleeping, the maiden passed her hand over his head; and he began to grow small. Streams of water poured out of his mouth; very soon he became a small mass upon the ground; and his clothing turned to withered

leaves. Then the maiden kneeled upon the ground, took from her bosom the most precious pink and white flowers, and, hiding them under the faded leaves, and breathing upon them, said: "I give you all my virtues, and all the sweetness of my breath; and all who would pick thee shall do so on bended knees." Then the maiden moved away through the woods and over the plains; all the birds sang to her; and wherever she stepped, and nowhere else, grows our tribal flower - the trailing arbutus.