Gaultheria procumbens L.

Creeping wintergreen, wintergreen, Eastern teaberry, checkerberry, boxberry, American wintergreen

Somewhat similar species

	You are here Gaultheria procumbens	Mitchella repens
Common Name	creeping wintergreen	partridgeberry
Plant	Low, spreading plant, typically 4–6″ (10–15 cm) tall, sometimes as low as 1″ (2.5 cm).	Low-lying vine is rarely more than 2″ (5 cm) in height and up to 1′ (30 cm) long.
Leaves	Oval, evergreen, dark in color, ¾–1¾″ (2–5 cm) long and ⅜–¾″ (1–2 cm) across. When broken, the leaves smell of wintergreen.	Opposite and oval or heart-shaped, about ½″ (1.3 cm) long, with a prominent light green central vein. Each leaf is dark and shiny on top, pale and yellowish below.
Flowers	Flowers are about ¼″ (6.3 mm) long, white, urn-shaped, resembling blueberry flowers.	Tubular, with four sharp-tipped petals, white or slightly pink, ½–¾″ (1.3–1.9 cm) long and ⅜″ (9.5 mm) in diameter. They appear from May to July.
Fruit	Fruits are bright red, round, ¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in diameter, and hard (like an apple).	One red, misshapen berry ¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in diameter—actually two fused berries—grows for each pair of flowers.
Range/ Zones

Gaultheria procumbens description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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