Wintergreen wonderland

The brilliant red berry of the wintergreen plant appears in woodlands just in time for the holiday season, brightening the forest floor and delighting our sense of smell with its uplifting and unique fragrance.

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), also called teaberry or checkerberry, is a creeping perennial with shiny evergreen leaves. Its fruit is a bright red, mealy berry that is best harvested during fall and winter.

Both leaves and fruit can be eaten, but those who are sensitive to aspirin are advised against consuming wintergreen, as it contains methyl salicilate, a chemical with anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties.

A member of the heath family, the plant has had various medicinal uses. According to Peterson’s “Medicinal Plants and Herbs,” leaf tea was used to treat colds, headaches, stomachaches, fevers and kidney ailments. Externally, it was used to relieve rheumatism, sore muscles and lumbago.

Once commonly used for tea, pies, muffins, jams, jellies, candy, chewing gum, ice cream, medicines and toothpaste, most wintergreen flavoring is now synthetically produced.

Enjoy the fresh fruit on salads or pancakes, or chew a just-plucked berry to refresh your senses on a brisk winter hike. When harvesting any wild edible plants, be sure to leave some plants untouched so that they can continue to thrive.

For recipes using teaberries to make wintergreen pie and muffins, see “Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States,” by Richard and Mary Lee Medve.