Common Name:
TEABERRY, WINTERGREEN
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Coefficient of Conservatism:
5
Coefficient of Wetness:
3
Wetness Index:
FACU
Physiognomy:
Nt Shrub
C. Peirce
Thrives in dry, usually ± sandy savanna with oak, pine, paper birch, aspen, red maple, bracken, blueberry; but also frequent in moist forests, even conifer swamps; less often with beech, maple, hemlock. Generally thought to be a species that does well after fire.
The wintergreen flavor and aroma are stronger in leaves and fruits than in G. hispidula. The tender young leaves are most palatable, and the old ones can be used for tea. Commercial wintergreen oil, however, if not wholly synthetic, is now more likely to be extracted from Betula lenta than from Gaultheria.