Gaultheria

Gaultheria, genus of about 135 species of upright or prostrate evergreen shrubs, of the heath family (Ericaceae), occurring in North and South America, Asia, the Malay Archipelago, Australia, and New Zealand. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their attractive foliage, and some are of local importance for their edible fruits.

Members of the genus Gaultheria are distinguished by usually alternate ovate leaves and fused white or pink flowers that are often borne in drooping or erect clusters. The stamens characteristically feature flattened filaments (the stalks that support the pollen-producing anthers). The round fruits contain numerous minute seeds. Most plants have dry fruits that are completely surrounded by the sepals, which are fleshy and white or pink.

A few species have edible berries. Salal (G. shallon), or lemonleaf in the floral industry, is a diffuse slender shrub of the Pacific Northwest; it grows 0.3–1.8 metres (1–6 feet) tall and has dark purple edible fruits. Wintergreen (G. procumbens), also called checkerberry or teaberry, is a creeping shrub with white bell-shaped flowers, spicy red fruits, and aromatic shiny leaves. Creeping snowberry (G. hispidula) is a mat-forming evergreen with small pointed leaves that give a spicy odour when crushed.