With flowers scarce, it's the season for appreciating berries in the landscape, and one of the prettiest berry bushes has to be Chilean wintergreen (
Gaultheria mucronata
, often still sold under the name
Pernettya mucronata
).
This small, compact, evergreen shrub with glossy leaves produces berries in a rainbow of colors -- purple, white, red, rose, pink -- all very showy, with a metallic sheen. The berries appear in fall and usually last through the winter.
Small, bell-shaped white to pink flowers appear in May to June.
The shrub suckers freely, spreading by underground runners, but can be easily root-pruned with a sharp shovel or spade. A 2-inch mulch on the perimeter will help to keep the soil from compacting, making runner removal easy.
Plant it in full or part sun, and get it off to a good start by digging in a lot of peat moss and a handful of rhododendron or blueberry fertilizer before planting. Water it generously. It grows best in moist, acid soil, and tolerates wind and wetness. No pests or disease bother it.
For best berry production, interplant male and female plants for pollination.
Ripe berries can be eaten raw, used for jelly or sprinkled on desserts or salads. Underripe berries, however, can be bland.
Berries and leaves also can be made into tea: Crush them first and then steep them in hot water for about five minutes. A half-dozen leaves or berries will make one or two cups of tea.
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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