Shrubs of Treehaven - Wintergreen

Wintergreen Gautheria procumbens

Foliage Type: leaf Arrangement: simple, alternate

Distinguishing features:

creeeping , evergreen plant 2 to 6 inches high with creeping underground stems
leaves - wintergreen odor when crushed, oval to roundish, margin with a few small and bristle-tipped teeth
leaves - leathery, smooth, shiny above, paler green beneath, 3/4 to 2 inches long
flowers - white, urn-shaped, about 1/4 inch long, usually solitary, blooming June to August
fruits - roundish, bright red, about 3/8 inch in diameter, with spicy wintergreen odor when crushed, ripening September to November and persisting

Habitats:

dry mesic sites
mesic sites
wet mesic sites

Often confused with:

white spruce
hemlock

Ecological Value:

Eaten by deer, bear, mice, grouse, chipmunks.

Did You Know?

Also called Teaberry.
Related to Creeping Snowberry.
It would take a ton of wintergreen leaves to make 1 pound of wintergreen oil.

Uses / Ethnobotanical uses:

Ojibwa make the leaves into a drink

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Last updated on September 30, 2001.

Please send any suggestions or corrections to H. Knodle

Habitats:	dry mesic sites mesic sites wet mesic sites
Often confused with:	white spruce hemlock
Ecological Value:	Eaten by deer, bear, mice, grouse, chipmunks.
Did You Know?	Also called Teaberry. Related to Creeping Snowberry. It would take a ton of wintergreen leaves to make 1 pound of wintergreen oil.
Uses / Ethnobotanical uses:	Ojibwa make the leaves into a drink