Gaultheria procumbens                                              Wintergreen

 Size:  6”

Exposure:  Full Shade to Partial Shade

Flowers: White urns in June

Gaultheria can be found in our woodlands where the soil is fairly acidic and relatively moist.  Being a member of the Ericaceous family, it does need soils that lean toward the acid side, but not as low a pH as is necessary for Rhodies and Azaleas.  The sun cannot directly hit the foliage during any part of the day or they will become tattered and ugly.  As witnessed in Gene Bush’s garden (Depauw, IN), wintergreen can tolerate high shade well.  While even moisture is ideal, it does handle drought fairly well.

 When all the above criteria are met, or at least close, you will have a gorgeous evergreen ground cover with white, urn-shaped flowers in June and bright red fruit for the fall and winter.