What is the State Flower of Massachusetts?
The Mayflower or Trailing arbutus is the state flower of Massachusetts. Its scientific name is Epigaea repens. It belongs to the Ericaceae family. Epigaea is the genus of the Mayflower and its species is E. repens. The Massachusetts’s state flower Mayflower is commonly known as Gravel plant, Mayflower, shadflower, ground laurel, mountain pink, winter pink. The Mayflower or Trailing arbutus is a sweet pungent fragrance, is an evergreen Shrub, which are native to Eastern N. America – Newfoundland to Florida and west to Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan.
For designated the flower emblem of USA state of Massachusetts a bill have been introduced by Representative Miles A. O’Brien Jr. in support of the Mayflower that was attracted. Unluckily another competing bill, proposing the water lily as the floral emblem, was also introduced. The General Court decided to pass the issue on to the Department of Agriculture who, in turn, passed the issue on to the State Board of Education. It was indomitable that a statewide vote of school children would determine the state’s floral emblem. The Mayflower wins the vote, defeating water Lily by getting more that two third of the total vote (Mayflower – 107,617 votes and Water lily – 49, 499 votes).The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 1, 1918, adopted the mayflower (Epigaea repens) as the flower or floral emblem of the Commonwealth.
State Flower of Massachusetts Facts:
- Common Name: Gravel plant, Mayflower, shadflower, ground laurel, mountain pink, winter pink.
- Genus: Epigaea
- Species: Epigaea repens
- Found in: All through the Massachusetts Eastern N. America – Newfoundland to Florida and west to Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan.
- Color: Pale pink or white
- Number of petals: Five
- Period of blooming: March to May
- Purpose: Ornamental
Symbolism:
The Massachusetts’s state flower Mayflower or Trailing arbutus is a small evergreen creeping shrub. It is also native, perennial, hemicryptophyte, subshrubs, autotrophic, monoclinous, with unpremeditated, roots and with fibrous roots, 0.02-0.4 m tall, with rhizomes found in sandy soil in many parts of North America, in the shade of pines. The leaves of the Mayflower are leathery, evergreen rust-colored, with hairy twigs. It length is from 1 to 3 inches long which width is half of the length. The flowers are Pale pink or white in color. Each flower has a 5 flared lobes ending with small tube. The lobes are about 1/2 inch long, generating with small fatal and upper auxiliary clusters. The Mayflower blossoms are waxy, elegantly sweet scented flowers increasing with age. The flower clusters of Trailing arbutus appear from March to May, consist of sweet-scented, delicate, shell pink, waxy blossoms. They produced on small shoots, monomorphic, with sepals and petals readily discernible from one another.
The fruits of Mayflower are Purple in color, size as large as the pea. It ripens around six weeks after pollination. At the time of the fruit ripe, the fruit divide to open and throw out most of the seeds, which are entrenched sweet, muggy pulps. It attracts ants to gather the sweet pulp and carry it back to their nest. The ants discard the seeds in their underground chambers by eating the pulp. It is seems that the perfect environment for germinate the seeds and grow.
Mayflower is does not frequently used as medicinal properties, even in traditional medicine, apart from that it is a strong urinary antiseptic. It is also one of the most effectual remedies for cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, bladder stones and especially acute catarrhal cystitis. An essential tea is made of Mayflower leaves, which are used for the treatment of kidney disorders, stomach aches, bladder disorders etc.
The state flower of Massachusetts, USA is undoubtedly an eye-catching beauty that grows in plenty throughout the state. Because of its stunning gorgeousness and the frequent occurrence in nature in Massachusetts, it was a natural fit for the state to choose.
Ref:
https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-flower/mayflowe
www.netstate.com/states/symb/flowers/ma_mayflower.htm
www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-flower/massachusetts.html
