Native plants for a Cape Cod garden

Mitchella repens, or partridgeberry is a creeping, ground hugging vinelike perennial herb that forms a mat of evergreen leaves in the shade and partial shade, especially under oak trees. The stems of this plant creep along the ground, rooting at the nodes. The shiny dark green leaves with white veins are located two-by-two, opposite on the stems. The funnel shaped pinkish white flowers appear in pairs in summer and these will deliver red berries about a half inch in diameter. The berries are edible, but rather insipid with a faint memory of wintergreen.

Although the plant I have came from the state of Maine, partridgeberry thrives on acidic soils under trees and large shrubs, meaning it should be abundant on Cape Cod. I will be on the lookout for it in the wild. Rooted stems can be separated and replanted quite easily – I took a cutting with a few root nodes and the plant has established itself already.

Native Americans used partridgeberry for all kinds of medicinal purposes, including relief from menstrual cramps, sore nipples, rheumatism, dysentery, fever, kidney disorders, and many other ailments.

An interesting feature of the partridgeberry fruit (actually a berry-like drupe) is that it develops from two flowers following the fusion of two ovaries. Thus, although the flowers are four-merous (4 stamens, 4 petal lobes, 4 stigmas, calyx with 4 teeth, etc.), the fruits have 8 seeds.

The berries do not add much as a food item, but they are edible nonetheless. They have much more value as a food for wildlife.