{"product_id":"wintergreen-teaberry","title":"Wintergreen Teaberry","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eGaultheria procumbens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Groundcover in woodland and shade gardens, understory plantings beneath conifers and rhododendrons, shaded rock gardens, edible landscape plantings, naturalized woodland edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e One of very few evergreen groundcovers that genuinely performs in shade. Glossy dark leaves release the familiar wintergreen scent when crushed, take on a burgundy cast in cold weather, and set bright red fruit that holds through the entire winter. Both the leaves and the berries are edible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Partial to Full Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Groundcover, Spreading — low creeping mat from underground runners\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e White and Pink\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dark Green, tinting Burgundy in winter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e Under 1 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1–2 ft. spread\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Summer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWintergreen is the eastern woodland floor plant — the one growing in the acidic duff under hemlocks and oaks from Newfoundland down through the Appalachians. It is a woody shrub, technically, but it tops out around six inches and creeps along by underground stems, so it reads and functions as a groundcover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat it offers is a full year of interest in a spot where most plants offer none. The leaves are small, thick, and glossy dark green, turning wine-red through winter. Nodding white bells appear in midsummer, easy to miss unless you look for them, and are followed by scarlet berries roughly the size of a pea that persist right through snow cover and are often still there when the new growth pushes in spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe scent is the other reason to grow it. Crush a leaf and you get the wintergreen oil that gave the plant its name and once made it a commercial crop in Pennsylvania. The berries are edible and mildly sweet with the same flavor — they are the original teaberry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWintergreen Teaberry Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in partial to full shade. Wintergreen will take a few hours of morning sun in the north but scorches in afternoon sun anywhere, and it is one of the few groundcovers that performs well in genuinely deep shade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil is the make-or-break factor: it needs acidic, humus-rich, consistently moist but well-drained ground. Amend with pine fines, leaf mold, or peat before planting, and mulch with shredded leaves or pine needles. Alkaline soil will not work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater regularly and do not let it dry out, particularly in the first two seasons and during summer dry spells. This is not a drought-tolerant plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeeding is rarely necessary in good woodland soil. If growth is weak, one light spring application of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e formulated for acid-loving plants is sufficient. No pruning is required; simply pull back any stems that wander where you do not want them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Wintergreen Teaberry for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Wintergreen Teaberry ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Wintergreen Teaberry Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWintergreen Teaberry stays under a foot tall — typically three to six inches — and spreads one to two feet wide by underground runners. It fills in slowly, so plant on twelve-inch centers if you want continuous cover within a few years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most widely used names, in rough order of familiarity, are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWintergreen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEastern teaberry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheckerberry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoxberry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmerican wintergreen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the berries edible?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes. The berries are edible raw and taste distinctly of wintergreen, mildly sweet and slightly mealy in texture. The leaves are also traditionally steeped as a tea. Flavor is strongest after a frost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it grow in dry shade?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot well. Dry shade under maples or in root-filled soil is the hardest place to establish it. Wintergreen wants shade with steady moisture and acidic organic soil — conditions found under pines, hemlocks, oaks, and around rhododendrons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow fast does it spread?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSlowly and politely. It travels by underground stems and adds a few inches a year once established. It will not overrun a bed and it will not smother neighbors, which also means it takes patience to close a large area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it a native plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes — \u003cem\u003eGaultheria procumbens\u003c\/em\u003e is a straight species native to eastern North America, from Canada through the Appalachians. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection, or our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/groundcovers\"\u003eGroundcovers\u003c\/a\u003e collection for more shade-tolerant options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"1 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47506111365282,"sku":"PN-Wint-1-1yr","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/WintergreenTeaberry3.jpg?v=1786312350","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/wintergreen-teaberry","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}