Mother Nature is celebrating the holiday season by decorating with red and green. On a walk through the woods , you might spot Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) or American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Both these groundcovers have deep green leaves, white blooms in late spring/early summer, and red berries in fall/winter.
American Wintergreen, also known as Boxberry, Checkerberry or Eastern Teaberry, is a woody, evergreen, mat-like groundcover. It has tiny white flowers that are shaped like smooth urns. In fall and winter, bright red berries, about the same size as a single Nandina berry, contrast attractively with the deep green foliage. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceous family It prefers poor, acidic soils and the company of hardwood trees. The white or pale pink blooms are shaped like upright cups. Flowers are mildly fragrant, but one almost needs to be on hands and knees to catch the scent.
Partridgeberry is commonly called Twinflower because its blooms are held in pairs. Partridgeberry has two distinctly different types of blooms. One has a long pistil and four short stamens. The other is exactly the opposite: one short pistil and four long stamens. A very close look (think magnifying glass or at least a good pair of reading glasses) at the Partridgeberry bloom reveals its fuzzy appearance. It produces a beautiful red berry similar to Wintergreen. When squeezed, the Partridgeberry fruit will separate into two parts; the Winterberry remains solid.
Both Wintergreen and Partridgeberry are found across most of the eastern United States. They thrive in shady woodlands. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to crush a leaf or sample taste a berry. Wintergreen has the distinctive scent and taste of, well, wintergreen. Partridgeberry leaves have no scent and the fruit is tasteless. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the Partridgeberry leaf has a lighter vein running the from stem to tip. Wintergreen does not have this noticeable feature.
Both these plants grow only a few inches tall, but spread indefinitely to form a gorgeous carpet for the forest floor. They are frequently found growing shoulder to shoulder in zones 3 through 7. Partridgeberry tolerates more heat; its growth area extends to zone 8. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries.
Red berries rest atop the dark green leaves of Mitchella repans like Nature’s Christmas ornaments
The twosome flowers of Mitchella repans illustrates one of its common names, Twinflower. A persistent berry from last year is visible in the 12 o’clock position.