COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
ALSO KNOWN AS
Checkerberry, Deerberry, Wiinisiibag (Ojibwe), Wintergreen
Plant family
Heath (Ericaceae)
Plant group
Wildflowers and Herbs
A low, woody ground cover (2-6 in. tall), teaberry bears 1-2 in. long, oval, shiny, dark green leaves which turn reddish with the advent of cold weather. The creeping stem of this low, evergreen plant has upright branches with white, bell-shaped, nodding flowers, solitary or in groups of 2 or 3 with aromatic red berries following the flowers.
When crushed, the leaves of this plant give off a distinctively "wintergreen" smell, hence the other common name Wintergreen. Eastern teaberry fruits are consumed by deer, grouse, and other wild game. The plant spreads primarily by rhizomes (horizonal, spreading roots). Traditionally a decoction of the whole plant was taken in spring and fall as a tonic to keep the blood in good order. The plant was also used to treat colds.