Wintergreen Creeping Gaultheria Procumbens is a broadleaf evergreen perennial shrub native to woodlands in Eastern North America. Wintergreen Creeping seeds germinate best after a cold treatment, and also commonly called Eastern Teaberry, Checkerberry, Boxberry, and American Wintergreen, Gaultheria Procumbens is a rhizomatous, creeping, woody, evergreen shrub-like perennial that spreads over time forming an attractive ground cover with glossy, leathery, elliptic to oblong, dark-green leaves and waxy, nodding, bell-shaped, white flowers in early summer. In fall and winter, Checkerberry is covered with edible bright red berries, and leaves have green-purple appearance. Both leaves and fruit have the aroma and taste of wintergreen.
Wintergreen Creeping Gaultheria Procumbens makes a beautiful ground cover for shady areas, and this attractive shrubby plant is often grown in woodland gardens, rock gardens, along foundations or as a complement to other acid-loving shrubs such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries. It is recommended to refrigerate Gaultheria Procumbens seeds for 4-10 weeks to break the dormancy of the seed and and after cold stratification the seeds can be sown directly in a prepared seedbed after last frost. Creeping Wintergreen is aromatic little ground cover plant that has a history of medicinal uses, because it contains methyl salicylate which is related to aspirin.
PLANT PROFILE
Season: Perennial
Height: 4-6 Inches
Bloom Season: Summer
Environment: Shade/Partial Shade
Soil Type: Rich/Moist well-drained, pH 4-6
USDA Zones: 3-8
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Sow Indoors: N/A
Sow Outdoors: Spring
Seed Depth: Surface sowing - press seeds slightly into the soil
Germination Time: 21-56 Days
