Shrub · Ericaceae
Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
Offer it acidic soil and cool shade, and wintergreen settles into a glossy evergreen mat freckled with red berries.
Partial shade
Every 4–7 days
USDA 3–8
3–8 in · 8–20 cm
Overview
If a shady, damp corner has you stumped, wintergreen might be the plant that finally feels at home there. It is a low, creeping evergreen from the eastern woodlands of North America, part of the heath family, and it wanders along the ground on quiet underground stems. Brush a glossy leaf and the familiar teaberry aroma drifts up, while cheerful red berries hold from autumn straight into the following spring. All those folk names are a good sign that people have grown and enjoyed it for generations.
Think of it as a friendly shade groundcover for the base of your acid-loving shrubs. It stays low, only 3 to 8 inches (8 to 20 cm) tall, and knits a neat green carpet across the cool, damp, acidic ground where fussier plants sulk. It grows slowly, so the main thing it asks of you is a little patience, not hard work.
The secret really is steadiness. Give it acidic soil, even moisture, and honest shade and it stays glossy and slowly spreads, while baking sun and dry ground brown the leaf edges. Get the spot right and wintergreen mostly looks after itself, berries and all, so there is no need to hover.
Care
The short version: part to full shade, soil kept cool and evenly moist and on the acidic side at pH 4.5 to 6.0, and lots of organic matter. Mulch to keep the roots cool, feed only now and then, and be patient, because this is a slow grower and that is perfectly normal.
Light
Wintergreen grew up in the woods, so it is happiest in part to full shade. A little gentle morning sun is fine, but hot afternoon sun scorches the leaves and tires the whole mat, so lean toward shade if you are unsure. Deep shade suits it far better than a bright, open spot ever would.
Water
Aim to keep the soil cool and evenly moist, watering every 4 to 7 days and a bit more often when things turn dry. A settled mat can shrug off a short dry spell, so do not panic over one, but it does brown quickly in hot, dry, sunny ground. A comfortable layer of mulch does a lot of the remembering for you.
Soil
This one is an acid lover at heart. Give it rich, humus-rich, well-drained woodland soil at a pH of 4.5 to 6.0, the same ground that keeps rhododendrons and blueberries happy. Sweet or limey soil locks up iron and yellows the leaves, so match the soil and you are most of the way there.
Temperature
Cold is no trouble at all for wintergreen, which is hardy right down to -40°F (-40°C) and comfortable up to about 84°F (29°C). It shines where summers stay cool, since a long stretch of heat wears on it more than any frost.
Humidity
You do not need to fuss with humidity or chase a target number outdoors. What wintergreen truly wants is cool, moist soil and shade, that damp woodland feeling, rather than dry, exposed air.
Feeding
Feeding is almost optional here, which is a relief. A light spring helping of an acidifying fertilizer made for acid-loving plants is all it will ever want, and only if growth looks a little weak. Going heavier does more harm than good, so err on the gentle side.
Pruning
Pruning is barely a job at all. A soft spring trim or shear to tidy the mat or remove any winter-damaged growth is the whole of it, and in plenty of years you can simply leave it be.
Repotting
In a pot it seldom needs moving on. Repot only when you notice roots circling the container, growth slowing down, or the soil drying out far too fast between waterings, and even then there is no rush.
Size & spacing
Each plant stays comfortably low, just 3 to 8 inches (8 to 20 cm) tall, and creeps 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) wide on its spreading rhizomes. If you would like a full carpet sooner, simply set the plants a little closer together.
When to plant
Because it keeps its leaves all year, wintergreen asks very little of you around timing. Set plants out in spring or early fall, enjoy the flowers from June to August, and then watch for red berries from September onward, with many hanging on through winter into the next spring.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: late winter after cold stratification of seed
- Plant: spring or early fall
- Harvest: flowers June to August; bright red berries September into winter and following spring
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most wintergreen worries come down to two things: soil that has turned too sweet, or a spot that runs too hot and dry. The good news is the leaves tell on the problem early, so you have time to act. Find your plant's symptom below, then treat the cause rather than just the sign, and it usually bounces back.
Pale leaves with green veins on a fading plant
Those yellowing leaves with green veins are chlorosis, and they are telling you the soil has drifted too sweet for an acid lover. Once the pH creeps past 6.0, the roots cannot take up iron, so the leaf tissue pales between the veins. Do not worry, it is fixable: work the pH back into the 4.5 to 6.0 range with elemental sulfur or peat, mulch with pine needles, and set aside the lime and alkaline tap water.
Fix:
- Amend soil with elemental sulfur, peat, or acidifying products to lower pH into the 4.5 to 6.0 range
- Mulch with pine needles or composted leaf litter
- Avoid lime and alkaline tap water
Browned edges and wilting when the sun is strong
Leaf scorch shows up when a woodland plant is handed more sun or dry soil than it can manage. The edges brown, the leaves droop, and the whole mat looks weary through a hot spell. Move it into part to full shade, keep the soil evenly moist, and lay down mulch to hold the roots cool, and it will recover.
Fix:
- Relocate or establish in part to full shade
- Keep soil evenly moist and mulch to keep roots cool
- Water during dry spells
A mat that fills in slowly
If your patch is widening at a gentle pace, that is slow spread, and it is simply the plant's nature rather than a fault. Wintergreen travels by rhizome, so a healthy stand gains only a little ground each year. Give it the acidic, moist, shaded soil it loves, set new plants closer if you want quicker cover, and let the rhizomes take their time over a few seasons.
Fix:
- Be patient; allow rhizomes to creep over several seasons
- Provide ideal acidic, moist, humus-rich shade to encourage spread
- Space plants closer for faster coverage
The odd aphid, thrip, or spotted leaf
Every so often aphids and thrips appear on tender new growth, and powdery mildew or leaf spot can creep in where the air stays still. On a healthy plant none of it is a big deal. Rinse off or treat small insect outbreaks, open the planting up so air can move, and try to keep water off the leaves.
Fix:
- Hose off or treat minor aphid and thrip infestations
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering to reduce fungal disease
Toxicity
Take heart, the garden plant itself is low-risk, and a ripe red berry or two is simply the source of that friendly teaberry flavor. The real caution is the concentrated oil of wintergreen, which is almost pure methyl salicylate and behaves like a heavy aspirin overdose. Keep any essential oil or liniment tucked well away from pets and children, and remember that cats cope with salicylates the worst.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
A nibble of leaf or berry usually causes nothing worse than a mildly upset tummy, but cats are the delicate ones here. They cannot break down salicylates the way other animals do, so even a little of the concentrated oil of wintergreen can bring on vomiting, tremors, and organ failure. Keep the essential oil and any liniments right out of their reach.
Dogs Caution
Chewing the plant or its berries tends to lead to no more than a queasy stomach. The concentrated oil is the true worry, working like a heavy dose of aspirin and causing vomiting, gut ulcers, and strain on the kidneys or liver.
Horses Caution
A little grazing on the leaves or berries is low-risk and rarely does more than unsettle the gut. A horse is large enough that the plant itself poses little threat, yet the concentrated oil of wintergreen is a strong salicylate and should never reach one.
Rabbits Caution
Small amounts of foliage may pass with only mild digestive upset, but the methyl salicylate in the leaves means wintergreen is not a safe browse. Guide rabbits back to their usual greens and keep any of the oil well away.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep can take a casual mouthful without much harm, though the same salicylate runs through the whole plant. Heavier grazing, or any contact with the concentrated oil, is where the trouble begins.
Birds Caution
Wild birds eat the ripe berries through winter with no apparent harm, and that is a big part of how the seed travels. Treat the concentrated oil as off-limits, since salicylates hit small bodies hard.
People Caution
A few ripe red berries give that well-loved teaberry flavor and are fine to nibble. The caution is for the concentrated oil of wintergreen, almost pure methyl salicylate, where even a small amount matches a large aspirin dose and is truly dangerous to swallow.
Keep the harmless garden plant separate in your mind from the concentrated oil of wintergreen. Store any essential oil, liniments, or wintergreen products well away from pets and children. Cats are especially vulnerable because they lack the liver enzyme needed to metabolize salicylates.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
You will only meet a handful of named forms, most chosen for a heavier show of berries, along with a couple of close cousins that are nice to recognize.
Very Berry
A selection prized by growers for unusually heavy crops of large, bright red berries.
Berri Magic
A combination planting that tucks male and female-type plants into one pot so you get a dependable, generous flush of berries.
Gaultheria shallon (salal)
A taller cousin from the Pacific Northwest, a broadleaf evergreen shrub that carries edible dark berries.
Gaultheria hispidula (creeping snowberry)
A dainty creeping relative with white berries and the very same wintergreen flavor, with leaves far smaller than those of G. procumbens.
Companions
Wintergreen pairs naturally with the other acid-loving plants of the woodland garden, tucking in beneath shrubs that share its taste for cool, low-pH soil.
Plant near
Rhododendron: Both are acid-loving Ericaceae; wintergreen makes a low groundcover beneath rhododendrons in woodland shade.
Azalea: Shares the same acidic, moist, shaded woodland conditions as an underplanting.
Blueberry: Fellow acid-loving heath-family plant that thrives in the same low-pH soil.
Mountain laurel (Kalmia): Acid-loving shrub companion for shaded woodland and rock garden plantings.
How to propagate
The kindest way to get more wintergreen is to borrow the roots the creeping mat has already made for you, though cuttings and seed are there too if you enjoy a slower project.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · One growing season
The easiest way to make more is to lift and gently pull apart rooted sections of the creeping mat in spring or early fall. Settle the pieces into acidic, moist, shaded soil and they will find their feet within a single growing season.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One season
Wintergreen more or less layers itself, which is lovely. Its creeping stems root wherever they meet the ground, so from spring through summer you can hunt out rooted runners, snip them free, and move them, with each one established inside a season.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer · Several weeks to months
Cuttings ask for a touch more attention. Root semi-ripe stems in an acidic, moist mix under high humidity across the summer, and give them several weeks to a few months to grow roots of their own.
SeedDemanding
Sow after cold stratification
Seed is the slow, patient road. It needs a cold stretch before it will wake from dormancy, then it comes up unevenly and takes its time to settle once it does.
Myths
Wintergreen and its red berries are dangerously poisonous because they contain oil of wintergreen.
Happily, the garden plant is low-risk, and its ripe red berries are safe for people to nibble in small amounts, since they hold only a trace of methyl salicylate. The genuine danger is the concentrated essential oil, which runs almost 99 percent methyl salicylate and acts like a strong aspirin overdose, and it is toughest of all on cats. Never mistake the harmless plant for the concentrated oil.