# striped wintergreen (*Chimaphila maculata*) Striped wintergreen is a small plant with pretty, striped leaves and lovely white flowers. It grows close to the ground and loves shady, forested areas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 74 - **Habitat:** Forests ![striped wintergreen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Spotted_Wintergreen.JPG&width=800) Photo: TheAlphaWolf, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spotted_Wintergreen.JPG) ## Appearance The striped wintergreen has shiny, dark green leaves with striking silvery-white stripes along the veins, making it easily recognizable. Its small, waxy leaves grow in whorls, and it produces delicate, nodding white or pinkish-white flowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Chimaphila ## Interesting facts - Did you know "wintergreen" means its leaves stay green all year long? - Its tiny flowers face downward, like they're shyly looking at the ground! - Its underground stem lets it pop up in new places like magic! - Some people call it "pipsissewa," a cool Native American name! ## Special abilities - **Evergreen Energy:** Striped wintergreen has tough, waxy leaves that stay green all winter, allowing it to make food when other plants are dormant. - **Underground Network:** Striped wintergreen can spread using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form colonies and pop up in new spots. - **Hidden Helpers:** Striped wintergreen connects with special fungi in the soil to get extra nutrients, helping it grow strong in shady forests. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-25 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.8-1.2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Helps carry pollen between its delicate flowers. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its evergreen leaves, especially in winter. - **Parasitizes:** Wintergreen Rust (*Puccinia chimaphilae*) — This fungus forms spots and can weaken the plant. ## Traits - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [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 Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify striped 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 striped wintergreen? 10-25 cm ### How wide does striped wintergreen spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on striped wintergreen? 0.8-1.2 cm ### When does striped wintergreen bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is striped wintergreen edible? No ### Is striped wintergreen toxic? None ### What is striped wintergreen's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Bloomingdale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloomingdale) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood - [Burke Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/burke-lake-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Cedarville State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarville-state-forest) — Maryland, US · Forest [View all places to see striped wintergreen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/striped-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: [Striped Wintergreen: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/striped-wintergreen)