May 7 Always
the first to flower (that I see) each year, although it means wet knees
as I kneel in the soggy ground to shoot (and smell) the Trailing
Arbutus, or Mayflower (Epigaea repens).
The
flowers of this member of the heath family are white or pink, their
leaves are leathery. For their tiny size, have a strong, perfume-like odor.
For reference, the length of the leaves is about 2-3 inches. | ![](Trailing_arbutus_5-7-14.jpg) | This shows off the shiny, leathery leaves. These flowers have just a hint of pink.
Photo from May 10.
| ![](Trailing_arbutus2_5-10-14.jpg) | A nice exposed group of pink blooms.
Photo from May 11. | ![](Trailing_arbutus3_5-10-14.jpg) | An explosion of pink blooms on a drier day
Photo from May 12. | ![](Trailing_arbutus4_5-11-14.jpg) |
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