Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria japonica)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Partial shade
- Frost limit
- −23.3 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a moist but not boggy humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade. A fast growing plant. The plant can make a good nesting place for mice, these mice then eat the bark of the stems in winter causing die-back. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Gaultheria japonica bears a close resemblance to G. hispidula (L.) Bigelow of N. America and sometimes treated as a variety or subspecies of the latter. G. japonica, however, has calyx much longer than the bracteoles, ovate and acute calyx lobes, and shorter anther projections. In G. hispidula the calyx is as long as or slightly longer than the bracteoles, the calyx lobes are broadly ovate and obtuse or subacute, and the anthers have distinct projections.
Propagation
The seed requires a period of cold stratification. Pre-chill for 4 - 10 weeks and then surface sow in a lime-free compost in a shady part of the greenhouse and keep the compost moist. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 3 - 6cm long, July/August in a frame in a shady position. They form roots in late summer or spring. A good percentage usually take. Division in spring just before new growth begins. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Layering.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw or cooked. Pleasantly acid and refreshing. Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are used to make a tea.
Medicinal uses
The plant is said to remove the cancerous taint from the body. An infusion of the leaves has been used as a tonic for a person who has overeaten.
Material uses
A useful fast growing ground cover plant for shady positions.
Habitat
Mossy grounds under conifers at elevations of 1600 - 2000 metres.
Native range
E. Asia - central and northern Japan.