Spotted Wintergreen

Spotted Wintergreen, Chimaphila maculata , also called striped Wintergreen, is a native perennial groundcover with dark green, glossy leaves marked with creamy-white veins or spots. It’s a charming, low-growing shade perennial that’s perfect for naturalized woodland gardens, shaded borders, or native plant collections. In the wild, spotted Wintergreen can be found in the forests of eastern North America. It does well in rich, well-drained soil under deciduous or mixed shade trees.

Spotted Wintergreen is a low-growing groundcover.

This low-growing evergreen groundcover has glossy, dark green leaves marked with creamy-white veins or spots. The leaves remain attractive year-round, providing a nice texture and contrast in the shade garden even when most other shade perennials have died back for the winter. Spotted Wintergreen is only 4-8” tall, making it a great choice for filling in areas, softening pathways, or underplanting taller woodland plants.

In late spring to early summer, Spotted Wintergreen produces small, nodding, five-petaled flowers that are white to pale pink in color. The delicate flowers are held above the foliage on short stems and attract bees and other pollinators, adding to the garden’s biodiversity. After the flowers have finished blooming, the plant produces tiny seed capsules, which allow it to slowly naturalize and form colonies over time.

Chimaphila prefers partial to full shade and humus-rich, well-drained soil that has consistent moisture. This plant is not particularly fast-growing, but it does spread slowly and steadily, eventually filling in an area naturally. It pairs well with other native shade-lovers like ferns, trilliums, bloodroot, and foamflower to create a layered woodland planting.

Gardeners love spotted Spotted Wintergreen for its combination of evergreen foliage, delicate blooms, and ease of care.

It adds a subtle, understated beauty to the garden that’s a nice contrast to more showy spring ephemerals. It also provides year-round texture and interest in shady areas where other plants may struggle. Gardeners seeking to create a more natural woodland look in their gardens will find Spotted Wintergreen a very reliable and adaptable addition.

Spotted Wintergreen is a low-growing, native shade perennial groundcover with distinctive leaves and delicate spring flowers. It’s a beautiful and versatile plant that will bring a touch of woodland elegance to any shaded garden space.