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    Gaultheria procumbens.JPG  Golteria1-pl.JPG 

 

NAME: Wintergreen

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Gaultheria Procumbens / Ericaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Checkerberry, Johnny Jump Ups, Teaberry, Boxberry, Mountain Tea, Canadian Mint, Deerberry, Leatherleaf, Groundtea, Groundberry, Hillberry, Mountainberry, Grouseberry, Spiceberry, Redberry Tea, Wax Cluster and Ivoryberry (2)

CONDITIONS: shade, forest floor, sandy fields, likes evergreen trees
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

 

mint

RAW/COOK

all year

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Buds

        

Flowers

 

 

 

 

Fruits

mint

RAW/COOK

early Spring

Pods

  

 

    

Seeds

 

 

 

 

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Roots

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: The fruits can be used in pies, or made into jams etc. Young leaves - A pleasant wayside nibble if used when very young. A very agreeable tea is made from the fresh leaves. A stronger tea can be made by first fermenting the bright red leaves. 'Oil of wintergreen' can be distilled from this plant. It is used to flavour beer, sweets, chewing gum etc.(1)

 

CAUTION: https://www.organicfacts.net/wintergreen.html

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Analgesic;  Anti-inflammatory;  Antirheumatic;  Aromatic;  Astringent;  Carminative;  Diuretic;  Emmenagogue; 

Stimulant;  Tonic.(1) “While its leaves and branches can make a mild tea through normal drying and seeping in hot water there is a better way: Ferment the leaves in warm sterile water for a few days until they begin to bubble. Then use those leaves for tea, either wet from the fermentation vessel or dry them. And while it makes an excellent tea, it is a tea containing methyl salicylate… so think of it as a pleasant aspirin. Given the choice of an aspirin a day or a cup of checkerberry tea I’ll take the original.”(1)

LOOK-A-LIKES: https://www.wildfoodies.org/Partridgeberry.htm

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: https://www.pfaf.org/user/OtherUses.aspx

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Gaultheria+procumbens
  2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/teaberry-shuffle-2
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wintergreen
  4. http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2014/01/22/permaculture-plants-wintergreen
  5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Gaultheria_procumbens (good photos)
  6. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/gaultheria-procumbens
  7. https://foragerchef.com/teaberry-wintergreen-gaultheria-procumbens
  8. http://natures-restaurant-online.com/Wintergreen.html
  9. https://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/wintergreen-color
  10. https://yourgourmetguru.com/wintergreen
  11. https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildflowers-wintergreen-gaultheria-procumbens.html
  12. https://practicalselfreliance.com/teaberry-wintergreen-gaultheria-procumbens