Chaura (prickly heath)
Gaultheria mucronata
Marble-sized berries in white, pink or plum that hang on all winter; mild, crisp and better than their reputation.
Hardiness: zones 6 to 9
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 4 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: September to November
From: Southern Chile and Argentina
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, wildlife, pollinators.
Native to: Southern Cone & Patagonia. Hardy in zones 6 to 9.
The story
Chaura grows on the windswept heaths of southern Chile and Tierra del Fuego, where its berries were gathered by Mapuche, Kawésqar and Yaghan peoples. Gardeners elsewhere grow it for looks and never think to taste it.
Planting
Sun or part shade and moist, acid, peaty soil. Plant one male among several females, or a self-fertile variety.
Growing
Mulch with pine needles and keep it watered. Trim after fruiting if it gets leggy.
Harvest and use
White, pink or purple berries from autumn through winter. They are mild and slightly spongy, fine fresh and better cooked into jam or baked into pastries.
What to watch for
It suckers into a thicket. Alkaline soil turns the leaves yellow.
See if Chaura (prickly heath) fits your yard
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More berries and small fruit
- Magellan currant (parrilla)
- Himalayan barberry (chutro)
- Muntries
- Miracle berry
- Azores blueberry (uva-da-serra)
- Madeira blueberry (uveira-da-serra)
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home