# one-sided wintergreen (*Orthilia secunda*) One-sided wintergreen is a small, evergreen plant that grows close to the ground. It has shiny green leaves and produces tiny white flowers that turn into bright red berries, which are enjoyed by birds. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Forests ![one-sided wintergreen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Orthilia_secunda_010707.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orthilia_secunda_010707.jpg) ## Appearance The one-sided wintergreen is a small, evergreen perennial with a distinctive flower arrangement. Its small, greenish-white bell-shaped flowers all point downwards and grow from just one side of a reddish stalk. The dark green, shiny, oval leaves remain year-round, often forming dense patches on the forest floor. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Orthilia ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, it doesn't have the strong wintergreen scent found in other plants! - Its tiny seeds are like dust, so small they can be carried far by the wind! - Its unique flowers are all lined up on one side, like a tiny green comb! - This plant helps scientists understand forest health as a special indicator species. ## Special abilities - **Pollinator Beacon:** Its flowers grow only on one side of the stem, creating a distinct display that helps guide insects to its nectar. - **Underground Network:** One-sided wintergreen can spread using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form colonies and find new growth spots. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-20 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Its downward-facing flowers are perfectly shaped for bumblebees. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer sometimes browse its leaves, especially when other food is scarce. - **Shelter:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Often found growing in the shade beneath conifer trees like spruce. ## Traits - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not eat any berries or plants unless you are sure they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify one-sided wintergreen? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is one-sided wintergreen? 5-20 cm ### How wide does one-sided wintergreen spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on one-sided wintergreen? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does one-sided wintergreen bloom? Summer ### Is one-sided wintergreen edible? No ### Is one-sided wintergreen toxic? None ### What is one-sided wintergreen's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Kijik](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kijik) — Alaska, US · Neighborhood - [Kijik Archeological District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kijik-archeological-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Plainfield Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/plainfield-village-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [St. Elmo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/st-elmo) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see one-sided wintergreen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/one-sided-wintergreen) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [One-sided Wintergreen: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/one-sided-wintergreen)