Wintergreen...

[Arklady]

I have often smelled but could never find wintergreen plants. I can find spearment and peppermint plants but no wintergreen. I love the smell and taste of wintergreen. Do any of you have some cuttings or something like that I can get a start from?

Arklady

 

[robbobbin]

Hey arklady, HI!
No wintergreen here but I got plenty of catmint spouting up in the yard-lol...you want some-hehehe

 

[Arklady]

No. I just want some wintergreen it smells heavenly to me...

Arklady

 

[miss_thenorth]

When I lived up north N.Ont, Can. We used to go blueberry picking, and wintergreen (gaultheriea)grew there. I used to pick it and freeze it to use for tea. It has a scent you could get lost in. apparently, this variety grew wherhardly anything else would.

Sorry--not much help...

 

[patandchickens]

It is a woodland plant. It needs *shade*, consistant moisture, and woodsy sort of humusy (not soggy) soil. If you have a woodland garden it is worth trying (if you're in an appropriate zone), but it is not a suitable "normal" garden subject.

The young twigs of cherry birch (a tree) taste sorta like wintergreen, but that prolly doesn't really help you

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

The bleuberries and wintergreen i picked were growing in sand, on the edge of a jack pine forest.

 

[robbobbin]

Spring Hill nursery has it...as well as several other online sites.

 

[aquarose]

Ahh Wintergreen. I grew up on a rural street call Teaberry Road. During walks in the forest as a child, my mother would pluck a small plant from the ground, crush a leaf, and say "smell this". Unmistakably wintergreen. She called it Teaberry. Also, every Sunday morning before church, we would go to the corner store and buy clove chewing gum and teaberry chewing gum. I was very happy to come across the plant during a walk with my own children a couple of years ago, and I plucked a plant from the ground.......

 

[robbobbin]

A lady on freecycle just gave me some spearmint last night-wow the smell is so strong. I am amazed. I hope it roots in.
Wondering how it compares to wintergreen? The spearmint is somewhat leggy and appears to root where it touches the ground.

 

[Reinbeau]

The bleuberries and wintergreen i picked were growing in sand, on the edge of a jack pine forest.

That would be their favorite environment, in the forest duff of a pine barren type area. They do run through the duff, but prefer the soil beneath be gritty/sandy/well drained. They don't grow well in moist soil. I've got it growing naturally in my forested areas here.