''Gaultheria hispidula'', commonly known as the creeping snowberry or moxie-plum, and known to

Micmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the nort ...

tribes of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

as Manna Teaberry, is a perennial spreading ground-level vine of the heath family Ericaceae. It is native to North America and produces small white edible berries. It fruits from August to September. Its leaves and berries taste and smell like wintergreen.

Description

''Gaultheria hispidula'' is an evergreen prostrate shrub that forms a mat of stems and leaves that can reach in diameter and only high. The small leaves, which are under long, are arranged alternately along the stems. The pale green-white flowers are seen in spring, followed by the white berries in August and September. The fruit is white with small darker-colored hair-like growths. The fruit is edible and has an acidic taste.

Distribution and habitat

''Gaultheria hispidula'' grows in acidic and neutral soils in open woodland and forest verges, particularly on wet ground such as in or on the edge of

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s, often near tree stumps. Its original range spread from far northern Canada to as far south as North Carolina, but it has been extirpated from the southerly portions of its original range.

Ecology

It is pollinated by solitary bees, bumblebees,

bee-flies The Bombyliidae are a family of flies, commonly known as bee flies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae are mostly parasitoids of other insects. Overview The Bombyliidae are a large family o ...

, and hoverflies, while chipmunks and deer mice spread the seed.

Conservation status

Like most plants in North America, deforestation and competition with invasive ornamentals (especially shade-loving groundcovers, such as English ivy or winter creeper commonly sold at garden centers) affect the creeping snowberry significantly. As a result, it has been extirpated from some of its original range and classified as rare in several states. Despite this, its international status has been evaluated as secure. This is because it is still quite common in its more northerly range of greater Canada. However, deforestation and exotic invasion are continuing problems that affect all forest species in both Canada and the United States. It is listed as endangered in Maryland and New Jersey, as threatened in Rhode Island, as sensitive in Washington, as rare in Pennsylvania, as presumed extirpated in Ohio, and as a species of special concern in Connecticut.

Uses

The

Algonquin people The Algonquin people are an Indigenous people who now live in Eastern Canada. They speak the Algonquin language, which is part of the Algonquian language family. Culturally and linguistically, they are closely related to the Odawa, Potawato ...

use an infusion of the leaves as a tonic for overeating. They also use the fruit as food. The Anticosti use it as a sedative, and the Micmac

decoct Decoction is a method of liquid–liquid extraction, extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various ...

the leaves or the whole plant for an unspecified purpose. The

Ojibwa people The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

use the leaves to make a beverage. The leaves can be cooked as a vegetable. The fruits can be eaten raw, baked, or used to make jam.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5527672 hispidula Flora of New Jersey Flora of Connecticut Plants used in Native American cuisine Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Flora of the United States Flora of Canada Groundcovers