Wintergreen

Gaultheria procumbens

Wintergreen - a shrubby evergreen perennial growing up to 6 inches tall. Finely toothed oval leaves are pale or yellowish green when young; mature leaves are leathery and glossy, dark green above, paler below. Bell-shaped white flowers of wintergreen (July-August) are followed by red fruits.

Rheumatism seems to have been a common complaint among North American Indians, to judge from the number of remedies they had for it. One of these was a tea brewed from wintergreen leaves. When American patriots boycotted British tea before the American Revolution, wintergreen tea was one of their substitutes, and they too began to use wintergreen as a remedy for headache, muscle aches, and colds. In the 1800's pharmacologists discovered that the oil from wintergreen leaves has aspirin like properties, which explain its effectiveness as a pain reliever. Today herbals largely recommend wintergreen oil applied externally to reduce painful swelling from injury and to treat inflammation of the joints and muscles.

Wintergreen once supplied flavoring for candies, cough drops, and toothpastes - and the names of such products with a wintergreen flavor suggest it still does. But wintergreen has been replaced by synthetics, and the genuine article  - an evergreen - is now enjoyed mainly by  deer, partridge, and other animals as a winter food.

Other names

• Aromatic Wintergreen
• Boxberry
• Canada Tea
• Checkerberry
• Chink
• Ground Berry
• Grouse Berry
• Hill Berry
• Ivory Plum
• Mountain Tea
• Redberry Tea
• Red Pollom
• Spiceberry
• Spicy Wintergreen
• Spring Wintergreen
• Teaberry
• Wax Cluster

Parts used

Leaves, fruit, essential oil.

Uses

Wintergreen is strongly anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and soothing to the digestive system. Wintergreen is an effective remedy for rheumatic and arthritic problems, and, taken as a tea, it relieves flatulence and colic. The essential oil, in the form of a liniment or ointment, brings relief to inflamed, swollen, or sore muscles, ligaments, and joints, and can also prove valuable in treating neurological conditions such as sciatica (pain resulting from pressure on a nerve in the lower spine) and trigeminal neuralgia (pain affecting a facial nerve). The oil is sometimes used to treat cellulitis, a bacterial infection causing skin to become inflamed. The Inuit of Labrador and other native peoples eat the berries raw, and use the leaves to treat headaches, aching muscles, and sore throat.

Wintergreen is largely used for its oil which is naturally rich in methyl salicylate. This chemical is the basis of the aspirin group and explains much of the activity of wintergreen in reducing pain and inflammation in acute rheumatism.

Habitat & cultivation

Native to North America, wintergreen is found in woodland and exposed mountainous areas. The leaves and fruit are gathered in summer.

Constituents

Wintergreen contains phenols (including, gaultherin and salicylic acid), 0.8% volatile oil (up to 98% methyl salicylate), mucilage, resin, and tannins.

How much to take

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the leaves and let infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Collection & harvesting

The leaves of wintergreen can be gathered throughout the year but the summer is preferable. Dry in the shade.

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