Picture of the Day: Pipsissewa

Not all green plants retreat to hide from the cold. Pipsissewa or spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculate) is a winter-loving evergreen found at our feet in shady oak-pine forests. In fact, the English name arose because the plant remains green all winter. Even before its use in manufacturing rootbeer, Native Americans used teas made from the leaves to treat digestive and urinary disorders, including kidney stones.

Spotted Wintergreen or Pipsissewa

Although endangered through over=harvesting in some areas of North America, wintergreen is common here and widely found in well drained upland forests. Wintergreen’s leaves can be “chewed for refreshment”, but don’t expect the typical spicy flavor. The leaves I chewed tasted somewhat like broccoli. Quite a disappointment! But this hardy little native persists through the winter, even offering its fruits as some sustenance to late season forest floor foragers.

Check out https://uswildflowers.com/detail.php?SName=Chimaphila%20maculata to learn more!