About Gaultheria ovatifolia A.Gray
Gaultheria ovatifolia A.Gray is a small, low-growing shrub. Its stems reach a maximum length of about 35 cm (14 inches), and the plant usually forms a ground-hugging mat. It has evergreen, pointed, oval-shaped green leaves that measure 2 to 3 cm (3⁄4 to 1+1⁄4 inches) long. This species produces small, solitary bell-shaped flowers that range in color from white to very light pink, with reddish bracts; the flowers hang downward like tiny bells. It produces a fruit that is a red, berry-like capsule. The fruit of Gaultheria ovatifolia is edible, and it was historically used as a food source by the Hoh and Quileute peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
