Gaultheria Procumbens 1 Gal

American Winterberry, Eastern Teaberry
Gaultheria procumbens

These plants fill a hard-to-find niche: lovely evergreen groundcovers that prefer shade, are edible, and are Native to WNC!

RARE evergreen groundcover native to WNC, with attractive glossy green leaves and charming tiny white flowers that mature to minty wintergreen edible berries in fall. Foliage is intoxicatingly fragrant when crushed; the evergreen foliage turns red-purple in winter.

Incredible when massed! Use these tucked under trees and shrubs, such as Blueberries (Vaccinium), Camellias, Kalmia, Oaks (Quercus), Pieris, Pines, Sourwoods (Oxydendrum), and more. They can also be grown in containers or shady spots in rock gardens for year-round interest.

The berries and foliage contain an oil that is used to flavor candy and chewing gum. Native Americans have historically made herbal teas/tisanes from the foliage to treat a variety of conditions. These plants have been of interest to gardeners since the 1760s. Interestingly, what we humans experience as a tasty wintergreen flavor is thought to be used by Gaultheria as part of their immune system!

• Prefer partial shade and acidic, moist, extremely well-draining soil high in organic matter. Can tolerate heavy shade. Once established, they can handle soil on the dry side.
• 4-8"T x 6-12"W. Slow growing.
• Zones 3a-7b (cold hardy down to -40°F).

❤️RCN Staff Favorite - we are growing these super cool plants in our own gardens!

🏆Award winning! Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Also known as: American Mountain Tea, American Wintergreen, Boxberry, Checkerberry, Common Winterberry, Creeping Wintergreen, Eastern Teaberry, Mountain Tea, Spreading Wintergreen, Wintergreen, and more.

• Bumblebees are the main pollinators for Gaultheria procumbens.
• These plants are pest and disease resistant; deer and rabbit resistant.
• Gaultheria procumbens are ericaceous plants with underground rhizomes. As long as the rhizomes are intact they can recover from wildfires and other natural hazards. Amazing!