As mentioned before, I have a cluster of spotted wintergreen (sometimes called striped wintergreen or pipsissewa) in the yard. Although it is widely distributed on the East coast it is considered rare in New England. It propagates by runners and by seed, although the latter method seems to be more effective after wildfires, something I will not attempt in my yard. Although it has been used for treating ailments in the past (and maybe currently in some biotech lab), I am hoping that, since it has no easy practical application (such as eating parts of the plant), it will be left alone to prosper in the wild. An additional incentive toward that goal may be the fact that the plant may cause a dermatological response in some people. Since I have developed skin rashes from black-eyed susans in the past, I am not wanting to find out if this applies to me…
spotted wintergreen July 8 2011
Just saw this in Eliot Maine. Thanks for the info. I was wondering if it were edible.
P
Love this! I know the article is a little older but the knowledge is still fantastic. Thank you for sharing