Any of about 14 species (genus Arbutus) of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs or trees, in the heath family. Native to southern Europe and western North America, they are characterized by loosely clustered white or pink flowers and red or orange berries. A. menziesii (variously known as the madrona, Pacific madrona, laurelwood, and Oregon laurel) and A. unedo (the strawberry tree) are cultivated as ornamentals. The trailing arbutus belongs to the genus Epigaea
or mayflower Trailing evergreen plant (Epigaea repens) of the heath family, native to sandy or boggy, acidic woodlands of eastern North America. Its leaves are oblong and hairy, and its white, pink, or rosy flowers grow in dense clusters. It is grown in shady wildflower gardens and as ground cover in terraria
arbutus
Silbentrennung
ar·bu·tus
Aussprache
Etymologie
[ är-'byü-t&s ] (noun.) 1548. From New Latin Arbutus (genus name) arbutus.