This week: Minty Fresh Teaberry
Hello!
Teaberries are a Pennsylvania thing. This low-growing evergreen groundcover lends its flavor to Clark’s Teaberry Gum, developed in Pittsburgh by the maker of the Clark Bar. It’s also a popular ice cream flavor on the eastern side of the state.
What does teaberry taste like, you ask? A medicinal minty sensation that you might also know as wintergreen. Yup — what a Pennsylvanian native plant nut calls an Eastern Teaberry goes by another name throughout the Northeast: American Wintergreen. Both are names for Gaultheria procumbens.
Teaberry grows four to eight inches tall and creeps along the forest floor via rhizomes. It has shiny evergreen leaves, small white flowers that bloom in midsummer, and red berries that ripen in September and persist through the winter. The berries are edible and are at their tastiest in late winter. The leaves are used to make tea and wintergreen flavoring. You won’t be surprised to learn that this plant was used by indigenous peoples to treat colds and upset stomachs — we use minty flavors the same way today.
Even though Teaberry is abundant in the forest, this pretty evergreen plant is underused in home gardens. It thrives in part-shade to deep shade, and likes acidic soil. This makes it a fabulous groundcover for around rhododendrons, azaleas, and even blueberries. The berries also support wildlife, so expect it to attract birds and feed small wildlife throughout the winter.
Elsewhere:
A client recently introduced me to the Learn Your Land YouTube channel. It’s an excellent resource for learning about forest ecology. The latest video addresses misconceptions about old-growth forests. Check it out!
Have a good week,
Julie