Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

The following notes refer to the species of this plant. Herbal medicinal literature extols its many virtues for all manner of ills and describes the berries being used as a tea, but repeatedly cautions that it is ‘not to be taken internally’. The cautions may refer to the oil, for while the berries are reported as harmless, the oil produced by steam distillation is almost pure methyl salicylate and has caused death when ingested or applied too generously to the skin (Frohne, 2004). Small amounts are added to toothpastes.
Oakeley, Dr. Henry. (2012). Doctors in the Medicinal Garden. Plants named after physicians. Royal College of Physicians. link

Gaultheria procumbens 'Big Berry'

Family: ERICACEAE
Genus: Gaultheria
Species: procumbens
Cultivar: 'Big Berry'
Common names: Checkerberry
Distribution summary: Northern America
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Habitat: Understorey and margins of evergreen forest
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Plants in pots (POT)
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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