Wintergreen

aka teaberry, checkerberry, eastern spicy-wintergreen

Gaultheria procumbens

Native to: All of New England

Life cycle: Perennial

Light: Partial/Full Shade

Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry

Height: 1-6"
Spacing: 6-12"

Blooms: Summer
Bloom Color: White

Fruits: Fall/Winter
Fruit Color: Red

Natural Habitat: New England’s pine and hardwood forest’s understories

Benefits: Fall Foliage, Winter Interest, Attracts Bees, Benefits Other Pollinators/Wildlife, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Fragrant, Edible, Low Maintenance

Pairs Well With: Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

Note: Teaberry is sensitive to the dissolved minerals in tap water. As much as feasible it should be watered with rainwater or distilled water. Like most native plants, once it is established in the landscape it should not need much or any watering, however.

“Wintergreen’s evergreen leaves are the original source of wintergreen flavoring and make for a great trail-side snack. In the wild, these plants tend to form trailing, sporadic patches in shady woodlands. Give them a bit more sun and they can fill out nicely.”

– Native Plant Trust

You can taste the classic wintergreen flavor in the red berries of eastern spicy-wintergreen, commonly found in the understory of acid forests throughout New England. Wintergreen was used as a cold remedy and analgesic among the Algonquin, Cherokee, Chippewa, and Iroquois, and for other medicinal uses or simply as a tasty tea by many tribes.

– Go Botany