Gaultheria procumbens - Creeping Wintergreen

The Gaultheria procumbens is a dwarf evergreen bush used in ericaceous beds. The dense dark green foliage turns purple when temperatures drop in autumn, and lovely shiny berries turn red in late summer and decorate the bush until spring.

Originally from North America, the creeping wintergreen is common in the acidic understory of large coniferous and leafy forests in Canada. It is perfectly hardy, but cannot tolerate limestone. This bush remains very small in size, making it perfect for filling your ericaceous beds as a ground cover at the base of your azaleas, camellias, or hydrangeas, for example. Its evergreen foliage and small red bell-like berries fill the spaces left empty by other plants during the winter.

Be careful not to let children play with its attractive berries because, even though they have therapeutic benefits, an improper dosage of medicinal plants can be toxic.