Gaultheria ovatifolia
Ericaceae
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
- Flower Form: urn shaped fls
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 1–3 inches
- Habitat: Bog/Fen/Wetland, Subalpine, West-side Forest
- Found In: Crater Lake NP, Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP, Siskiyous, West Gorge
- Native: Yes
- Also Known As: Slender Teaberry, Western Teaberry
