teaberry Ericaceae Gaultheria procumbens

Leaf:Alternate, simple, evergreen, oval to elliptical, 1 to 2 inches long, minutely serrated, thickened with a wintergreen odor when crushed, leaves appear whorled since they cluster at tips of plant; dark shiny green above, much paler below often with black dots.
Flower:Species is monoecious; small (1/4 inch), white, urn-shaped, hanging from short stems from leaf axils, appearing in mid to late summer.
Fruit:Red, round, 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter, hanging beneath the leaves, mild wintergreen taste, ripen in late summer and persist into winter.
Twig:Slender, green turning brown with age.
Bark:Light brown.
Form:Low plant with a height of only 3 to 5 inches; stems shoot out of the ground and end in a tight cluster of leaves.

Notes: