Gaultheria procumbens – Wintergreen; Teaberry; Checkerberry

Note: The root systems of Wintergreen are superficial. The plants do not often transport well in pots. As a result, the plants we offer may be field dug, balled, and wrapped to minimize transportation issues.

A small forest plant with glossy evergreen leaves, resembling a miniature Rhododendron. Dainty bell-shaped flowers adorn the plant in July and August. The fruit is a bright red berry which ripens in fall and persists on the plant all winter and often through the following spring. An inhabitant of coniferous forests, this plant spreads slowly by rhizomes to form a loose colony. The species name for this plant, “procumbens,” references the botanical term for plants which spread via rhizome, but not root at the node. Wintergreen is an excellent choice for filling in bare spots under conifers, especially in dry and sandy woodlands. Consider pairing with native Mosses, Hay-Scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba), Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), Maple-Leaved Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium laevifolium), and Tree Clubmoss (Lycopodium obscurum).

An edible plant, the berries and tender young leaves have a pleasant, minty flavor. As an edible landscape feature, the mature leaves can be used to make tea or an alcoholic extract, and the berries may eaten raw. The berries, while long-lasting on the plants, are not very prolific. They are most commonly eaten as a trail side nibble, or by wildlife such as Grouse and Turkey. Wintergreen is widely used, historically and in the present day, as a medicine amongst Indigenous Peoples of North America.

These plants are self-fertile. They do not require multiple plants of different genetic backgrounds to set fruit.

Plant in dappled to full shade. Fruit set is most prolific where the plants receive a 2-3 hours of direct sun. Will tolerate nearly full sun if kept sufficiently moist. Requires a well-drained, acidic soil. Does not tolerate alkaline soils.

The characteristic Wintergreen flavoring comes from the essential oil of this plant, methyl salicylate, which was first isolated from the plant in the 1840’s and is also found in Black Birch (Betula lenta). These plants are often found in association with one another on our farm. During the early 20th century, these plants were industrially harvested. By the early 1960’s, overharvesting pushed these plants to the brink of extinction, for use as a flavoring and as a medicinal component in commercial products. When a process for synthesizing methyl salicylate in the lab was developed in the 1960’s, widespread commercial harvesting ceased, and the populations of these plants quickly rebounded. Once used widely as an ingredient for making liniments to soothe joint and muscle aches, and as a flavoring in candies and root beer, today the main commercial use for Wintergreen is in Teaberry chewing gum.