- Trailing arbutus is a creeping, trailing evergreen plant that has a low growth habit that may only reach a height of 6 inches. The plant produces dark green, aromatic, oval shaped leaves, which have a leathery, thick texture. Appearing in April, the trumpet-shaped blooms give way to creamy white-colored berries that are about half an inch in diameter and similar in appearance to raspberries. The flowers are white or pink, and sweetly fragrant.
- Trailing arbutus is native to North America, where it grows throughout much of Canada as well as a large portion of the southeastern United States. The plant grows in sandy, peaty woods or clearings from Maine to Florida and west to Ohio and Massachusetts. The plant prefers open, exposed sites that are not cluttered with leaf litter and debris. Trailing arbutus is quite sensitive and suffers in the face of lumbering and grazing.
- According to the University of Austin, trailing arbutus is exceptionally difficult to establish in the home garden. The plant is intolerant of drought or flood, and grows very slowly. The plant may require a mycorrhizal association, which is a symbiotic relationship with fungus, in order to survive. Trailing arbutus requires a well-draining, humus-rich soil. Soil pH should be less than 6.8. Plant in a fully shaded to partially shaded area in the garden.
- Trailing arbutus acts as a larval host for two butterfly species, the hoary elfin (Callophrys polios) and the elf (Microtia elva). You can propagate it by division, cuttings or seeds. The small brown seeds appear in June, surrounded by white pulp. Collect the seeds before birds and insects eat them. Cultivars of the plant are difficult to find in the nursery trade, though the species of the plant is available commercially.
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