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American Wintergreen

$7995 $9995
Size: 6 in.

Your Plants are Guaranteed to Grow

Your plants are guaranteed to arrive happy & healthy with our 1 Year Warranty. Your order will arrive healthy and stay healthy while they adapt to your climate. If your tree arrives damaged or dies within 30 days, we'll replace it for free. If it dies after 30 days, but before 1 year, we will replace it for just 50% of the current price.

Free Shipping on All Orders

Relax... we've got you covered with free shipping on every order! We ship out so many huge plants, we've negotiated a low rate with our carriers... and we pass those savings on to you! Your plants will ship out the next business day... expertly packed so that your plants will arrive happy and healthy!

Is Now a Good Time to Plant?

Yes! Fall is one of the best times to plant!

Landscaping experts often recommend planting in fall instead of waiting until spring. Here’s why:

  • Cooler weather puts less stress on newly planted trees and shrubs.
  • Fall soil is still warm, which helps roots grow and get established.
  • Cooler temperatures mean less water is lost through the leaves, making it easier for plants to stay hydrated.
  • Even after top growth slows for winter, roots continue developing below ground.
  • Fall weather often brings more rain and less heat, making new plants easier to care for.
  • By spring, your plants already have a head start. Their established roots can support strong new leaves, branches, and flowers.
  • Trees planted in spring must establish their roots while also dealing with rising temperatures and summer heat.

Plant this fall, and your trees can spend the cooler months getting settled instead of waiting until spring to get started!

Planting your American Wintergreen

Planting Instructions for American Wintergreen

  1. Choosing the Right Location: Plant American Wintergreen in partial shade to shade in USDA zones 3 through 9. It thrives in woodland gardens, beneath trees and along shady borders that do not get strong afternoon sun, which can scorch its glossy leaves. In warmer zones, give it more shade.
  2. Soil Preparation: Wintergreen needs moist, well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter. Mix compost or leaf mold into the planting area, and avoid soil that stays soggy for long periods.
  3. Planting: Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball and just as deep, and set the plant at the same depth it grew in the pot. It stays 3 to 6 inches tall and spreads about 12 inches wide, so space plants about 12 inches apart for a slowly filling groundcover.
  4. Mulching and First Watering: Water gently but thoroughly after planting. Add an organic mulch such as shredded leaves or pine needles to protect the shallow roots and keep the soil cool and moist.

Care Instructions

  1. Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist while the plant establishes, but never soggy. During dry spells, water deeply so moisture reaches the root zone.
  2. Fertilizing: Little feeding is needed. If growth is pale, apply a light fertilizer for acid-loving plants in spring, and refresh organic mulch each year.
  3. Pest and Disease Monitoring: Wintergreen has few pest problems. Poor drainage can cause root rot, and leaf spots may appear in overly wet, crowded conditions.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

  1. Pruning: Once established, this slow-growing groundcover needs very little pruning. Snip out any damaged stems in spring. Use clean, sharp pruners and cut just above a healthy bud or side branch so wounds close quickly.
  2. Winter Care: American Wintergreen is very cold hardy and keeps its evergreen leaves through winter, often taking on deep red or burgundy tones as temperatures cool.
  3. Growing in Containers: It grows well in pots, window boxes and porch planters. Use an acidic, well-draining potting mix, place containers in bright shade or morning sun, and water whenever the top of the mix begins to dry.

Additional Tips for Growing American Wintergreen

  1. Holiday Decorating: Bright red fall and winter berries and evergreen leaves make it popular for holiday porch pots. After the holidays, plant it in a shady bed as a year-round groundcover.
  2. Native Companions: Native to eastern North America, it pairs nicely with ferns, hostas and other shade lovers. Its evergreen leaves and red berries give shady native plantings year-round interest in a very small footprint.
  3. Pets and Shipping: Wintergreen leaves and berries contain methyl salicylate, so keep pets and children from eating the plant. It cannot ship to Arizona or Oregon.
What Customers say about the American Wintergreen:

The American Wintergreen thrives in Zones 3-9

Growing Zones for the American Wintergreen

If you live in the green area above, we recommend the American Wintergreen.

Your Growing Zone
Recommended Zones 3-9
Mature Height 3-6 inches
Mature Width 12 inches
Cannot Ship To AZ, OR
Sunlight Partial Sun
Botanical Name Botanical Name: Gaultheria procumbens

Plants that Make a Difference

For 20+ years, our team has shipped healthy, established plants to gardeners like you- all across the country. Every plant is selected and cared for by our plant experts before it ships to your door.

  • 20+ Years Experience

  • Superior Quality

  • Free Shipping on All Orders

  • Guaranteed to Grow

American Wintergreen

Beware- not all American Wintergreen plants are the same.

Be sure to get superior groundcovers, grown by experts.

Better Roots Make Stronger Plants: Some nurseries send you "bare root" groundcovers to save on shipping. Even worse, others have started digging them right out of the ground before shipping. This causes major transplant shock and long-term damage. We send you American Wintergreen plants in soil-filled containers- ensuring a well-developed root system that is ready to spread!

Healthy Plants: We've seen other nurseries grow tall groundcovers in tiny pots to save on shipping. This leads to a "root bound" plant, where the roots have outgrown their pot- they cannot absorb water and nutrients. They quickly dry out during shipment, leading to an unhealthy plant.

American Wintergreen

American Wintergreen is a charming native groundcover- glossy evergreen leaves and bright red berries for shady spots.

  • Bright red berries in fall and winter, when most of the garden has finished
  • Stays low: just 3-6 inches tall, slowly spreading about 12 inches wide
  • Made for shade: thrives under trees, in woodland gardens and in shady borders
  • Year-round color: evergreen and cold hardy in zones 3-9, with burgundy tones in cold weather

Not all plants are created equal

The Difference Is in the Roots

Every plant we ship has grown in a nursery container with its roots protected, so it arrives healthy, established and ready to thrive in your yard.

A full, branched Nationwide Plants tree in a nursery pot next to a thin bare-root tree with exposed roots Ours: container grown Theirs: bare root
Nationwide Plants Other Nurseries
How it's grown Grown in a nursery container, roots protected the whole time Pulled or dug from the field, tearing fragile roots
How it arrives Arrives in its pot with soil intact Arrives bare root, exposed and drying out
Before shipping Growing naturally until it ships Held dormant in a cooler, then shocked by a hot shipping box
Root health Strong, well-developed roots with room to grow Crammed into a small pot until it's root bound
Height Measured from the top of the soil Often includes the pot and roots
After planting Settles in quickly with less transplant shock Arrives stressed and can take years to recover, if it does

The height you see is the height you plant.

We measure every plant from the top of the soil, not the bottom of the pot. Many nurseries include the pot and roots, so a "5–6 ft." tree from them might stand only 4 ft. tall once it's planted.

Comparisons reflect common practices across the online plant industry, not any single company.

Honest Measurements: Some nurseries measure plants including the pot and roots, so the plant you receive is much smaller than you expected. We measure all of our plants from the soil line, so the height you see is what you can expect after planting.

From our nursery to your door

How We Ship Your Plants

Every order is hand-selected, watered and carefully packed so it arrives healthy and ready to plant. Here's what happens after you place your order.

  1. Hand-Picked for You

    Our team selects the best plant available for your order. For privacy trees, that's the tallest and fullest. For fruit trees, it's the best branched.

    Why it matters: Many online nurseries ship whatever is next in the row.

  2. A Deep Drink Before the Trip

    Every plant gets a thorough watering right before it's packed, so it starts the journey fully hydrated.

  3. Roots Sealed In

    We wrap the pot and roots in plastic to lock in moisture, so your plant has water to drink all the way to your door.

    Why it matters: Bare-root plants are often shipped with their roots exposed and drying out.

  4. Braced for the Ride

    Cardboard inserts are secured inside every box to hold your plant in place, so it won't slide, tip or get damaged in transit.

  5. Shipped Only by FedEx

    We ship your trees exclusively with FedEx. We've found they deliver the fastest and handle live plants the most gently.

And if anything goes wrong, every plant is backed by our 1 Year Warranty.

Healthy Roots Make a Huge Difference

  • Never buy bare-root plants. These trees are starved of nutrients, and have a low survival rate.
  • Beware of nurseries cut corners by growing in small pots. These "rootbound" plants are weak, struggle to absorb nutrients, and die quickly after planting.
  • Some nurseries try to sell oversized plants, but chop off vital roots so they can cram the rootball into a narrow box to save on shipping!

You Want American Wintergreen Plants Grown by Experts

Some nurseries ship small, weak groundcovers grown in tiny pots to save money. These "root bound" plants struggle after planting and take much longer to fill in.

Nationwide Plants only sends you strong American Wintergreen plants, selected and cared for by our plant experts, with healthy, developed root systems. That means they settle in quickly and start forming a neat evergreen mat sooner.

Read more about the American Wintergreen

American Wintergreen: Evergreen Groundcover With Bright Red Berries

Bring rich color and woodland charm to your garden with American Wintergreen. Also known as Gaultheria procumbens, this low-growing native groundcover stays green all year and produces bright red berries that stand out in fall and winter.

Growing only about 3–6 inches tall, American Wintergreen is a great choice for shady garden beds, woodland gardens, under trees and shrubs, or in outdoor containers. It slowly spreads to form a neat evergreen mat without taking over your space.

Why You'll Love American Wintergreen

Color Through Every Season: Glossy evergreen leaves stay attractive all year, while red berries add extra color in fall and winter.

Perfect for Small Spaces: Its low, spreading growth makes it easy to use under taller plants or along the front of shady garden beds.

Native Groundcover: American Wintergreen is native to eastern North America and fits beautifully into woodland-style landscapes.

Holiday-Ready Color: Bright red berries and leaves that may take on burgundy tones in cold weather give this plant a festive look for fall and winter displays.

Great for Containers: Grow it in pots, window boxes, porch planters, or mixed seasonal containers for an easy splash of evergreen color.

Easy to Maintain: Once established in the right location, this slow-growing groundcover needs very little pruning or shaping.

Bright Red Berries for Fall and Winter

One of the best features of American Wintergreen is its bright red berries. They add a strong pop of color when many other garden plants have finished blooming for the year.

As temperatures cool, the evergreen leaves may also develop deep red or burgundy tones, giving the plant even more winter interest.

A Low-Growing Evergreen Groundcover

American Wintergreen stays very short, usually reaching only 3–6 inches tall. It slowly spreads along the ground to create a dense carpet of glossy foliage.

Its small size makes it useful in places where larger shrubs would be too big. Use it beneath trees, around shrubs, along shady paths, or near the front of garden beds.

Where to Plant American Wintergreen

Woodland Gardens: Its low growth and evergreen leaves look right at home beneath trees and among other shade-loving plants.

Shady Borders: Use American Wintergreen near the front of garden beds for low-growing color and texture.

Under Trees and Shrubs: Its compact size makes it a useful choice for filling open spaces beneath larger plants.

Outdoor Containers: Add it to porch pots, window boxes, or mixed planters for year-round foliage and seasonal red berries.

Holiday Planters: Pair its red berries and evergreen leaves with other seasonal plants and decorations for a natural winter look.

American Wintergreen Light and Soil Needs

Light: American Wintergreen grows best in partial shade to shade, making it a great choice for areas that do not receive strong afternoon sun.

Soil: Plant it in moist, well-drained, acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. It does not like soil that stays soggy for long periods.

Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist while the plant becomes established. A layer of organic mulch can help protect the shallow roots and keep the soil from drying too quickly.

Perfect for Holiday Displays and Year-Round Gardens

American Wintergreen is especially popular during the holidays because its bright red berries and evergreen foliage naturally match the colors of the season. But this plant offers much more than holiday appeal.

After winter ends, its evergreen leaves remain in place, making it a useful year-round groundcover for shady parts of the landscape.

Small Plant, Big Seasonal Appeal

If you want a compact native plant with evergreen foliage and colorful winter berries, American Wintergreen is an easy choice. Its small size, slow-spreading growth, and four-season interest make it perfect for woodland gardens, shady borders, and decorative containers.

Plant American Wintergreen for year-round greenery, bright red berries, and a touch of woodland beauty in even the smallest spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions about the American Wintergreen

How big does American Wintergreen get?

American Wintergreen stays very low at about 3 to 6 inches tall and spreads about 12 inches wide. It slowly forms a neat evergreen mat of glossy leaves without taking over your space. Its small size makes it easy to tuck under trees and shrubs or along the front of shady beds.

Does American Wintergreen grow in shade?

Yes, American Wintergreen grows best in partial shade to shade. It is a great choice for areas that do not get strong afternoon sun, such as woodland gardens, spots beneath trees, and shady borders. Too much hot sun can scorch its glossy leaves.

What soil does American Wintergreen need?

American Wintergreen needs moist, well-drained, acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. It does not like soil that stays soggy for long periods. Adding compost or leaf mold at planting and using an organic mulch helps create the woodland conditions it prefers.

What zones does American Wintergreen grow in?

American Wintergreen grows in USDA zones 3 through 9. It is very cold hardy and keeps its evergreen foliage through winter. In warmer parts of its range, give it more shade and consistent moisture so its shallow roots stay cool.

When does American Wintergreen have red berries?

American Wintergreen produces bright red berries that stand out in fall and winter. They add a strong pop of color when many other garden plants have finished for the year. As temperatures cool, the leaves may also take on deep red or burgundy tones.

Is American Wintergreen native?

Yes, American Wintergreen is native to eastern North America. It fits beautifully into woodland-style and native plant gardens. Its evergreen leaves and red berries give shady native plantings year-round interest in a very small footprint. It pairs nicely with ferns, hostas, and other shade-loving plants.

How do you water American Wintergreen?

Keep American Wintergreen evenly moist while it becomes established, but never soggy. A layer of organic mulch helps protect its shallow roots and keeps the soil from drying out too quickly. During dry spells, water deeply so moisture reaches the root zone.

Can American Wintergreen grow in containers?

Yes, American Wintergreen grows well in pots, window boxes, porch planters, and mixed seasonal containers. Use an acidic, well-draining potting mix and keep it evenly moist. Place containers in bright shade or morning sun, away from strong afternoon light. Water whenever the top of the mix begins to dry.

Is American Wintergreen good for holiday decorating?

Yes, American Wintergreen is popular during the holidays because its bright red berries and evergreen foliage match the colors of the season. Pair it with other seasonal plants in porch pots or planters. After the holidays, plant it in a shady bed as a year-round groundcover.

Which states can American Wintergreen not ship to?

American Wintergreen cannot be shipped to Arizona (AZ) or Oregon (OR) due to state plant regulations. Gardeners in those states should choose a groundcover that is permitted where they live. Customers in all other states can order it as usual.
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