Chimaphila umbellata

Common Names

Pipsissewa, Prince's Pine, Noble Prince's Pine, Wintergreen, Umbellate Wintergreen, Bitter Wintergreen, Waxflower, Common Pipsissewa

Summary

An evergreen, low-growing subshrub with creeping rhizomes, this plant has glossy leaves arranged in whorls or opposite pairs and umbrella-like clusters of white to pinkish flowers that hang downward, forming patches in coniferous or mixed forests on dry, acidic, sandy soils; upright capsules persist through winter, and a circumboreal distribution across cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere supports hardiness to USDA zones 4–8.

Cultivation favors shade, well-drained acidic soils, and dry to moist conditions; essential mycorrhizal associations and slow growth make propagation by seed or division (rhizome divisions and cuttings commonly used) challenging, so planting with soil from around an established plant is recommended for successful establishment; commonly grown as a ground cover in shade gardens with edible leaves for tea or flavoring, while extreme sensitivity to trampling and disturbance limits site use.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-12 inches

Spread

20 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade; can be partial sun or full shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained, acidic soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

3.5-6.5, Acidic soil

Bloom Color

White or pink blooms, sometimes with pink-to-red or purplish/rose tinges

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Slow growth

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts other pollinators