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PLANT PROFILE LIST
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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
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PARTS: |
EDIBLE |
TASTE |
RAW/COOK |
SEASON |
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All |
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Shoots |
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Leaves |
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mint |
RAW/COOK |
all year |
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Stalk/Stem |
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Buds |
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Flowers |
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Fruits |
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mint |
RAW/COOK |
early Spring |
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Pods |
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Seeds |
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Nuts |
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Roots |
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Bark |
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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:
NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: Analgesic; Antiinflammatory; 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:
POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:
OTHER USES: https://www.pfaf.org/user/OtherUses.aspx
SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):