WINTERGREEN AMERICAN, CHECKERBERRY, TEABERRY, BOXBERRY
Gaultheria procumbens
SKU: 1915-015
Description
An excellent ornamental for winter holidays and container specimens. The bright red wintergreen-scented berries with glossy green leaves. Native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama.
G. procumbens is a small, low-growing shrub, typically reaching 15 cm (6") tall. The leaves are evergreen with a distinct oil of wintergreen scent.
The flowers are pendulous, with a white, sometimes pink-tinged, and bell-shaped.
The plant is a calcifuge, favoring acidic soil, in pine or hardwood forests, although it generally produces fruit only in sunnier areas.
This plant was received the Award of Garden Merit (A.G.M.) from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Type: Low-growing shrub
Hardiness zones: 3-5
Height: 15cm, 6"
Location: Sun
Germination: Start these seeds right away to preserve viability, no matter the time of year. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of a sterile seed-start mix, and water in. Place the pot in a location that receives fluctuating temperatures of about 5C/41F. An early spring sowing is ideal. Alternatively these seeds can be placed in a fridge for 4-6 weeks (after planting and watering) to receive the cold period. Then bring to room temperature or slightly cooler for them to germinate. They may take several weeks to months to germinate, and often some seeds germinate well before others. They germinate very irregularly over a long period. Keep continually lightly moist.
Description
An excellent ornamental for winter holidays and container specimens. The bright red wintergreen-scented berries with glossy green leaves. Native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama.
G. procumbens is a small, low-growing shrub, typically reaching 15 cm (6") tall. The leaves are evergreen with a distinct oil of wintergreen scent.
The flowers are pendulous, with a white, sometimes pink-tinged, and bell-shaped.
The plant is a calcifuge, favoring acidic soil, in pine or hardwood forests, although it generally produces fruit only in sunnier areas.
This plant was received the Award of Garden Merit (A.G.M.) from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Type: Low-growing shrub
Hardiness zones: 3-5
Height: 15cm, 6"
Location: Sun
Germination: Start these seeds right away to preserve viability, no matter the time of year. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of a sterile seed-start mix, and water in. Place the pot in a location that receives fluctuating temperatures of about 5C/41F. An early spring sowing is ideal. Alternatively these seeds can be placed in a fridge for 4-6 weeks (after planting and watering) to receive the cold period. Then bring to room temperature or slightly cooler for them to germinate. They may take several weeks to months to germinate, and often some seeds germinate well before others. They germinate very irregularly over a long period. Keep continually lightly moist.
