Ericaceae

Gaultheria ovatifolia

Oregon Wintergreen

Short, spreading, evergreen shrub. Stems to 8 in. long, coated with brownish hairs, sometimes tipped with glands. Leaves leathery, shiny, egg-shaped, 1–1 1/2 in. long, with tiny teeth. Flowers in leaf axils, tiny pink bells held by cups covered by gland-tipped hairs. Berries edible, bright red. Grows in moist forests, bogs, with heaths, at mid to high elevations. Similar G. humifusa, usually found in moist subalpine to alpine environments, is without glands and usually without hairs, leaves toothless or with few teeth near tip, white flowers held in hairless cups with lobes about as long as petals.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Mid Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 1--3 inches
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, Subalpine, Bog/Fen/Wetland
• Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, West Gorge, Crater Lake Np, Siskiyous
• Native: Yes