Scientific Name:
Gaultheria procumbens
Pronunciation:
gall-THEER-ee-uh pro-KUM-benz
Common Name:
wintergreen
Family Name:
Ericaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen, Ground cover
Key ID Features:
Low, creeping, evergreen groundcover; leaves thick, ovate, with very faint serrate margins and a wintergreen scent when crushed, dark green but may have a reddish tint in winter; fruit a red berry-like capsule (accessory tissue). Winter ID: fleshy red fruit with a minty taste.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.1 - 0.2m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Canada - eastern, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Ground cover, Rock garden, Wildlife food, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Purple, Bronze
Shapes:
Elliptic, Obovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Serrate, Serrulate
Additional Info:
strong wintergreen fragrance when crushed
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Urceolate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
May flower again in the fall
Fruit Type:
Capsule, Edible
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Accessory tissue, Edible, Distinctive Smell, Persistent, Enclosed in a fleshy calyx; edible.
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Fungal leaf spot, Galls, Mildew, Thrips (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- Level 4 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (NRY) NuRserY : poly 5
- (PDW) PonD West
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab