Wintergreen

Did you know

• Wintergreen is the original source of methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen)—the famous flavoring used in chewing gum, toothpaste, root beer, and as a topical pain reliever in muscle creams.
• The bright red berries persist all winter under snow, then survive intact until spring—Native peoples called the plant 'partridgeberry' and harvested the berries from beneath snowbanks as winter survival food.
• Crush any leaf and a single drop releases the unmistakable sharp 'red gum' or 'birch beer' aroma—children in old New England mountain communities chewed the leaves as 'mountain tea.'
• Wintergreen is one of the few plants that produce a chemical compound (methyl salicylate) closely related to aspirin—the herb has been used for centuries to treat aches and pains.
• The dainty white bell-shaped flowers are easy to miss in summer, but they're pollinated by bumblebees and yield berries that feed grouse, deer, bears, and chipmunks in winter.

Color meanings

Uses

• Native ground cover
• Acid soil gardens
• Edible berries
• Ornamental winter color