Gaultheria

Gaultheria nummularioides. Author’s photographs

Great evergreen groundcovers that provide flowers and interesting fruits are an advantage in any garden. Amongst the best are some of the nearly 180 species of Gaultheria (Gahl-THE-reeah). Their evergreen, alternate leaves distinguish them, as do their sometimes-scented, urn-shaped flowers and their edible berry-like fruits (technically, the swollen calyx), which are attractive to birds as well as humans. Many species have striking red stems that add color through the winter. With their diversity of growing conditions, this genus adapts easily to gardens, particularly those in the Pacific Northwest where one species, G. shallon, is a familiar shrub in the native woodland understory.

The genus was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus to honor Dr Gaulthier, a physician in Quebec City. Members of the rhododendron family (Ericaceae), gautherias are native to eastern and southern Asia, North and South America, and Australasia. Lewis and Clark described them during their 1804-1806 expedition, and Ernest “Chinese” Wilson collected many during his plant explorations in Ch...