Chimaphila japonica Seeds | Japanese Wintergreen
LATIN NAME: Chimaphila japonica
COMMON NAME: Japanese Wintergreen
Plant Profile
Japanese Wintergreen (Chimaphila japonica) is a handsome, low, evergreen, creeping perennial in the heath family, native to cool, shady forests of the northern hemisphere, while it is treasured for its fine, glossy, evergreen foliage. In heath family it is glossy, whorled-leaved wintergreen of forest floor, a quiet evergreen that carpets cool, shaded ground. In good conditions it grows to around Twenty centimetres. Pollinating insects take to the flowers at once, adding a little wildlife interest to its garden value. The ratio of effort to reward here is about as good as gardening gets.
Science & Biotechnology
Chimaphila japonica sits in the heath family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. The Japanese wintergreen leaves are a familiar subject in traditional plant chemistry of the northern lands, and the constituents have been examined by the researchers across the world. Its behaviour in gardens is well recorded, thanks to a long history in cultivation.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Japanese Wintergreen earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. In woodland garden, the Japanese wintergreen is glossy, evergreen carpet of cool corner. Its waxy, bowl-shaped flowers feed small insects, and whorled, glossy leaves give forest floor a fine, neat, year-round presence. Traditional use of the northern lands keeps the plant in the old practice, and it grows well in the moist, gritty, leaf-mould-rich ground of the cool, shaded spot. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Pipsissewa was a popular Native American and pioneer tonic herb for urinary comfort, and it still flavors traditional root beers.
Growing from Seed
Japanese Wintergreen is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. Its role in herbal practice, noted above, adds depth to an already garden-worthy plant. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
Related Reading
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