Ericaceae FAMILY

Gaultheria hispidula

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Gaultheria hispidula is an evergreen plant with stems that are more or less woody and persist. A creeping, mat-forming plant with stoloniferous roots, it grows up to 14cm tall[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine - the fruit is sometimes sold in local markets[ 61 Title A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Publication Author Usher. G. Publisher Constable Year 1974 ISBN 0094579202 Description Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader. ].. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used as a ground cover.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeNorthern N. America - British Colombia to Newfoundland, south to Washington and Idaho in the west, Minnesota to West Virginia and Maryland in the east

HabitatConiferous forests and mountains in the alpine and sub-alpine zones[ 62 Title A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Publication Author Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Year 1982 ISBN 0442222009 Description Very readable. ]. Cold wet woods and bogs[ 235 Title An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Publication Author Britton. N. L. Brown. A. Publisher Dover Publications. New York. Year 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5 Description Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book. ]. Sphagnum bogs, fens and mossy, coniferous woodland forests and swamps, often on moss-covered or rotting logs; at elevations from 30 - 1,400 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].