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Wintergreen. Checkerberry. Mountain Tea

Gaultheria procumbens. Heath Family.

Stem.--Three to six inches high; slender; leafy at the summit. Leaves.--Oval; shining; evergreen. Flowers.--White, growing from the axils of the leaves. Calyx.--Five-lobed. Corolla.--Urn-shaped; with five small teeth. Stamens.--Ten. Pistil.--One. Fruit.--A globular red berry. He who seeks the cool shade of the evergreens on a hot July day is likely to discover the nodding wax-like flowers of this little plant. They are delicate and pretty, with a background of shining leaves. These leaves when young have a pleasant aromatic flavor similar to that of the sweet birch; they are sometimes used as a substitute for tea. The bright red berries are also edible and savory, and are much appreciated by the hungry birds and deer during the winter. If not thus consumed they remain upon the plant until the following spring, when they either drop or rot upon the stem, thus allowing the seeds to escape.