North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Gaultheria procumbens

Gaultheria procumbens L.

eastern teaberry, checkerberry, teaberry, wintergreen

Gaultheria procumbens (Eastern Teaberry)

Image ID: 12477
Image by: Cressler, Alan M.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: GAPR2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gaultheria procumbens
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-16

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: GAULT
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Gaultheria
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Snowberry
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 115-135 species, shrubs and subshrubs, of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, South America, West Indies, Central America, and North America (primarily Asian).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Trock in FNA (2009); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ERICAC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Ericaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Heath Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Rhizomatous, colonial perennial of heath balds, woodlands, openings and bogs, usually on acidic (often dry) sites.
STEMS: Stem unbranched, somewhat woody and smooth or hairy.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate but clustered toward the top of the short stem, elliptical, 1â€“2 in. long, with widely spaced bristle-tipped teeth, evergreen-leathery and shiny.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers (1â€“several) dangling from leaf axils, white to pink, 1/4-1/2 in. long, urn-shaped with bell-shaped, shorter calyx.
FRUITS: Fruit a bright red, many-seeded, persistent berry-like capsule.
COMMENTS: Leaves and fruit with strong wintergreen fragrance and flavor; an extract of this plant has been used to flavor teas, chewing gum, candy and medicines.
HEIGHT: 2â€“6 in.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Subshrub, Shrub

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: June-August

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White to pink

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x		x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep.-Nov.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bogs/pocosins, Dry forests, High elevation, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Wintergreen is a rhizomatous, evergreen member of the heath family with glossy, leathery dark green leaves. In early summer, the plants develop waxy, nodding, bell-shaped, white flowers that ripen into edible bright red berries which can persist through winter and serve as an important source of food for many forms of wildlife. Wintergreen is an excellent groundcover for rock gardens and as a companion plant for other acid-loving shrubs such as azaleas, rhododendrons, kalmias and blueberries in woodland shade gardens.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
40	HORT	2014-10-12	Gocke	View
391	HORT	2009-10-01	Poythress	View
1966	HORT	2015-09-09	Gocke	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
38	2017-0040	2019-02-01	40	View
387	2011-0278	2011-12-20	391	View
1810	1986-1591			View
1934	1986-1720			View
3197	1990-0036			View
4576	1992-0732			View
7166	1999-0127	1999-11-02		View
7668	2001-0022	2001-03-26		View
7803	2001-0162	2001-09-12		View
9253	2019-0012	2019-06-26	1966	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
48	38	74	NCBG staff	2017-05-22	View
925	387	15	NCBG staff	2011-11-20	View
926	387	34	Mixon	2012-05-31	View
927	387	37	Mixon	2012-05-01	View
928	387	42	Mixon	2012-03-11	View
2893	1810	84	NCBG staff	1985-11-27	View
2894	1810	90	NCBG staff	1985-11-27	View
3074	1934	6	NCBG staff	1986-12-22	View
5352	3197	81	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
5353	3197	90	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
5354	3197	81	NCBG staff	1989-10-01	View
5355	3197	81	NCBG staff	1989-10-01	View
5356	3197	90	NCBG staff	1989-10-01	View
5357	3197	90	NCBG staff	1989-10-01	View
6905	4576	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
10112	7166	166	NCBG staff	1999-09-01	View
10849	7668	81	NCBG staff	2001-03-22	View
11012	7803	81	NCBG staff	2001-08-01	View
11013	7803	90	NCBG staff	2003-04-23	View
12377	9253	145	Liloia	2019-04-01	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: GAPR2
USDA Common Name: Eastern Teaberry
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC), FRA (SPM)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gaultheria procumbens
COMMON NAME: Wintergreen, Teaberry, Checkerberry
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, Il, K, L, Pa, RAB, S, Va, W, WV]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Aug; Sep-Nov.
HABITAT: Heath balds, woodlands, and openings, usually acidic and xeric.
COMMENTS: NL (Newfoundland) west to MB, south to e. NC, ne. GA, AL, c. TN, KY, n. IN, and MN.
RANGE MAP: Gaultheria procumbens.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Ericaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Heath Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 107-124 genera and 3400-4100 species, primarily shrubs, small trees, and subshrubs, nearly cosmopolitan. The Ericaceae is very important in our area, which is one of the north temperate centers of diversity for the Ericaceae, with a great diversity of genera and species, many of them rather narrowly endemic. Along with Quercus and Pinus, various members of this family are dominant in much of our landscape.
REFERENCE: Tucker in FNA (2009); Gillespie & Kron (2010, 2013); Kron et al. (2002); Wood (1961); Judd & Kron (1993); Kron & Chase (1993); Luteyn et al. (1996)=L; Dorr & Barrie (1993); Cullings & Hileman (1997); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Gaultheria L. (Snowberry)
SUMMARY: A genus of 115-135 species, shrubs and subshrubs, of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, South America, West Indies, Central America, and North America (primarily Asian).
REFERENCE: Trock in FNA (2009); Stevens et al. in Kubitzki (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Gaultheria procumbens in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Gaultheria procumbens in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Gaultheria procumbens in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Gaultheria procumbens in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Gaultheria procumbens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Gaultheria procumbens

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 12477 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19339 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 12477 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)