Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
Minty red berries and leaves for a shady, acid corner.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 8
Light: shade to part shade
Size: about 0.5 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: September to November
From: E. North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, wildlife, traditional use.
Native to: Northeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Southeast, Eastern Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
The story
Wintergreen's leaves and red berries were chewed and steeped by Haudenosaunee, Delaware and Algonquian peoples for aches and fevers, a use that became oil of wintergreen and the flavour of root beer and chewing gum. Methyl salicylate, aspirin's cousin, is why.
Planting
Part shade to shade, acid, humus-rich, moist soil under trees or with blueberries. Plant in spring; a 6-inch evergreen groundcover that spreads slowly.
Growing
Keep moist and mulch with pine needles. No pruning. It tolerates deep shade and cold.
Harvest and use
Berries ripen red in autumn and hang all winter; eat a few fresh (strongly minty). Leaves make tea; a little goes a long way, and those sensitive to aspirin should avoid it.
What to watch for
Drought and alkaline soil; otherwise nothing.
Safety
Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.
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More native and wild plants
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