Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Gaultheria humifusa is a species of shrub in the heath family which is known by the common names alpine wintergreen and alpine spicy wintergreen. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist subalpine mountain forests. It is a low, spreading shrub which may be quite small, forming flat patches on the ground or amongst rock and leaf litter. The stems are less than 20 centimeters in length and have small oval-shaped leaves one to two centimeters long. It bears solitary bell-shaped flowers with white to light pink corollas and golden anthers which, after pollination, mature into bright to dull red berrylike fruit capsules. The leaves and fruit of Gaultheria humifusa are edible.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 in Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Pink, Yellow, White

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Plant communities

Lodgepole Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 2 likely

Confirmed Likely

The Brown Elfin

Callophrys augustinus

Canary Ypsolopha Moth

Ypsolopha canariella