Gaultheria is part of the Heather family. It comes from places like Australia, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. This pretty plant can spruce up any room or garden.
Gaultheria is an evergreen plant that lives for many years. It's also called goltheria, gaultieria, or wintergreen. It's easy to grow, so it's popular worldwide. It has branches that creep along the ground. Its leaves are shiny, green, and oval-shaped. They are usually less than 4 centimeters long. In winter, the leaves turn red, making it look nice.
When it blooms, gaultheria gets small, pinkish-white flowers. They look like bells or water lilies. In the fall, it grows bright red berries that look like cranberries. They stay on the plant for a long time, even in freezing weather. The berries smell good, but you can't eat them.
Wintergreen usually grows to about 0.25 meters tall. Some types can get taller. This little garden plant is now a popular houseplant.
There are many kinds of Gaultheria, but gardeners only grow a few.
Hairy Gaultheria comes from the Himalayas and China. This type is a small bush, about 10 centimeters tall. It has gray-green leaves that are oval-shaped. Its pink flowers hang down and are about 4 millimeters long. The berries are blue.
