Gaultheria ovatifolia
Slender wintergreen, Slender Wintergreen
(c) John A Haskins, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by John A Haskins · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Gaultheria ovatifolia (Slender wintergreen) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by intermediate elevation and hairy stems.
Slender wintergreen is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada in wet fir forests at elevations of 400 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white to pink-tinged bell-shaped flowers nestled individually in leaf axils. Growing with low stems less than 35 centimeters tall, covered in soft puberulent and long hairs, it has a delicate and understated form. Its leaves are small, measuring 1 to 3.5 centimeters long, with rounded or slightly heart-shaped bases and finely serrated edges. The fruit develops as a bright red berry, contrasting against the plant's green foliage.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are intermediate elevation and hairy stems
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet fir forests
Elevation: 400-1900 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Humboldt, Butte, Nevada, El Dorado, Placer, Del Norte, Tuolumne, Sierra, Yuba, Trinity
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho
Bloom period
Gaultheria ovatifolia blooms Jun-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Vaccinium: Gaultheria (salal) has thick, sharply pointed, minutely toothed leaves and a fleshy purple-black fruit that is really a swollen calyx over a capsule; Vaccinium (huckleberry/blueberry) has thinner leaves and a true berry crowned by the calyx.; vs Arctostaphylos: Gaultheria has finely serrate leaves and glandular-hairy flower stalks; manzanita has entire leaves, smooth red bark, and dry mealy fruits.; vs Comarostaphylis: Gaultheria leaves are minutely serrate and green beneath; Comarostaphylis (summer holly) has revolute, sharply toothed leaves that are white-woolly beneath, and warty red fruits.; vs Leucothoe: Gaultheria fruit is fleshy and berry-like; Leucothoe has similar leathery leaves but produces a dry capsule.; vs Menziesia: Gaultheria is evergreen with leathery toothed leaves and fleshy fruit; Menziesia is deciduous with thin, hairy leaves and a dry capsule.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaultheria ovatifolia native to California?
Yes. Gaultheria ovatifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gaultheria ovatifolia bloom?
Gaultheria ovatifolia blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Gaultheria ovatifolia grow?
Gaultheria ovatifolia occurs in Siskiyou, Humboldt, Butte, Nevada, El Dorado, Placer, Del Norte, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 400-1900 m.
What plant family does Gaultheria ovatifolia belong to?
Gaultheria ovatifolia is in the Ericaceae family, genus Gaultheria.
What habitat does Gaultheria ovatifolia grow in?
Gaultheria ovatifolia grows in Wet fir forests.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.