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You probably recognize the name of Massachusetts' state flower. The mayflower. And considering that Massachusetts is where the passengers of the Mayflower established Plymouth Colony in 1620, the connection seems obvious. Except... The flower wasn't named after the ship. The name mayflower was already being used for spring-blooming plants long before the Pilgrims arrived in New England. So the fact that the mayflower eventually became Massachusetts' state flower? That's a pretty wonderful coincidence.
This short video shares the surprising story behind Massachusetts' mayflower, why schoolchildren chose it over the water lily, and how people loved its fragrant blossoms a little too much.
Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus
Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens
The mayflower is a small evergreen plant that grows close to the forest floor.
Its little pink and white blossoms might not look particularly dramatic, but their fragrance is another story.
A few things that make it special:
Native to eastern North America
Blooms very early in spring, sometimes near lingering patches of snow
Also known as trailing arbutus or ground laurel
Produces intensely fragrant pink and white flowers
Grows slowly and can be difficult to establish
The scent is one of the plant's most memorable characteristics. It's often described as sweet and spicy, with hints of vanilla.
Imagine encountering that fragrance in the woods after months of a cold New England winter.
You can understand why people fell in love with it.
Why It Became the State Flower
By the late 1800s, gathering mayflowers had become extremely popular in Massachusetts.
Their wonderful fragrance made them especially desirable for bouquets and garlands.
Maybe a little too desirable.
People concerned about the plant began warning that excessive picking could threaten wild populations, and a movement grew to protect the mayflower and make it the state's floral emblem.
Attempts were made around the turn of the century to have the legislature officially recognize it, but they didn't succeed.
Then Massachusetts turned to a group we've seen many times in these state flower stories: the schoolchildren.
In 1918, students across Massachusetts were asked to choose between two flowers:
The mayflower or The water lily
The mayflower won by roughly a two-to-one margin.
Massachusetts finally had its state flower.
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