Pyrola aphylla
Leafless wintergreen, Leafless Wintergreen
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Pyrola aphylla (Leafless wintergreen) is a native California perennial in the Ericaceae family, recognized by vestigial/absent leaves.
Leafless wintergreen is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada foothills, central western California, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and Modoc Plateau in mixed conifer forests at elevations of 500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces cream-white or pink flowers that are small and bilateral, with petals 5 to 7.5 millimeters long. Growing with a distinctive leafless or near-leafless form, it produces a flowering scape up to 6 meters tall with 7 to 25 flowers. Its leaves are highly reduced, often less than 1 centimeter long and barely visible, appearing lanceolate to deltate and dull, frequently hidden by leaf litter. The plant's unique adaptation of minimal foliage allows it to thrive in the understory of dense conifer forests, blending subtly into the forest floor.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; vestigial/absent leaves are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mixed conifer forest to
Elevation: 500-2500 m
California counties: Mariposa, Kern, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Lake, San Mateo, Napa, Mendocino, Plumas, Trinity, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Tehama, Tuolumne, Alpine, Humboldt, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, Fresno, Glenn, Marin, Monterey, Nevada, Sonoma, Tulare, Stanislaus, Modoc, Colusa, Ventura, Santa Clara, Madera
Outside California: to southwest British Columbia, Baja California
Bloom period
Pyrola aphylla blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Pterospora: Pyrola has green basal leaves; Pterospora is completely leafless and brownish-pink without chlorophyll.; vs Corallorhiza: Pyrola has basal leaves and radially symmetrical flowers; Corallorhiza is leafless with bilateral orchid flowers.; vs Chimaphila: Pyrola leaves are all basal in a rosette; Chimaphila has thick leaves scattered up the stem.; vs Goodyera: Pyrola flowers are radially symmetrical and arranged all around stem; Goodyera has spiral orchid flowers.; vs Orthilia: Pyrola flowers arranged evenly around stem; Orthilia flowers distinctly one-sided along the stalk.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pyrola aphylla native to California?
Yes. Pyrola aphylla is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Pyrola aphylla bloom?
Pyrola aphylla blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Pyrola aphylla grow?
Pyrola aphylla occurs in Mariposa, Kern, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Lake and other counties, at elevations of 500-2500 m.
What plant family does Pyrola aphylla belong to?
Pyrola aphylla is in the Ericaceae family, genus Pyrola.
What habitat does Pyrola aphylla grow in?
Pyrola aphylla grows in Mixed conifer forest to.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.