Gaultheria procumbens

Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
Type: Evergreen Shrub
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Regular

This attractive evergreen sub-shrub is a relative of salal, a common sight in the forests here in the Pacific Northwest. Spreading by creeping stems, it features 2in (5cm) glossy, dark green, oval leaves on stiff stems, forming a compact clump that reaches only 8in (20cm) high, but spreading as much as 3ft (90cm).  Small, pinkish-white, bell-shaped flowers (very much like salal flowers) appear in the summertime, followed by bright red berries that smell and taste like wintergreen, but have a somewhat meally texture. For use as a groundcover, plant your wintergreen about a foot (30cm) apart. Wintergreen works well in both woodland and rock gardens.

Pro Tip: Although the leaves also smell like wintergreen, they are not edible; ingesting them can cause stomach upset. So please…don’t eat the leaves of your wintergreen.

Flower photo courtesy of www.vaplantatlas.com

Cheers,

John