Partridgeberry

Sun

Partial to full shade; protect from strong afternoon sun.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells in shade, but prolonged drought causes thinning.

Soil

Acidic, humus-rich soil that holds moisture but drains freely; avoid waterlogged ground and strongly alkaline soil.

Height

0.1-0.25 ft (0.03-0.08 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), eventually wider as stems root

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; small, fragrant white flowers, sometimes flushed pink, borne in pairs.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, rounded, glossy dark green leaves in opposite pairs, often with a pale central vein.

Growth

Slow

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0 ft (0.01 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.1 ft (0.02 m)

3. After 2 years

   0.1 ft (0.03 m)

4. After 3 years

   0.1 ft (0.04 m)

5. After 5 years

   0.2 ft (0.06 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Slow

• Water during the first growing season whenever the soil surface begins to dry.
• Work leaf mould into poor soil before planting; routine feeding is usually unnecessary.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould around plants, keeping creeping stems and leaves uncovered.
• Remove weeds by hand before they become established in the mat.
• Keep heavy fallen leaves from smothering the foliage, and avoid walking on plants.

Pruning. No regular pruning is needed. In spring, snip out dead stems and trim wandering growth back to a rooted section.

Spring

Plant into moist, prepared soil and water thoroughly.

Spring

Remove damaged stems and gently clear accumulated leaves from the mat.

Early summer

Hand-weed around plants without disturbing their shallow roots.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather, especially beneath trees.

Autumn

Separate rooted stem sections for propagation and replant promptly.

Late autumn

Add a light dressing of leaf mould around plants without burying the foliage.

• Carpet small areas beneath deciduous trees and shrubs where soil remains humus-rich.
• Edge a shaded path with evergreen foliage and winter berries, keeping plants outside the walking surface.
• Plant between ferns and other restrained woodland perennials to cover otherwise bare soil.
• Use beside mossy stones or decaying logs for a small-scale woodland planting.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Moss and fern garden, New England, Winter interest and Secret garden.

Plant it with: Christmas fern, Foamflower, Wild ginger, Rhododendrons and Mountain laurel.

Wildlife: Flowers attract small insect pollinators, including bees. The berries are eaten by some woodland birds and mammals; each berry develops from a pair of flowers and has two small blossom scars.

• Yellowing leaves and weak growth in alkaline soil: move to an acidic, leaf-mould-rich site rather than repeatedly applying corrective feeds.
• Root rot in saturated soil: improve drainage or relocate plants; do not keep the root zone waterlogged.
• Scorched or drying foliage: provide deeper shade and water during extended dry spells.
• Plants disappearing beneath weeds or heavy leaf litter: remove competition by hand and lift off thick accumulations of leaves.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The berries are edible but bland; this does not establish the safety of medicinal preparations made from the leaves or stems.

• American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

  Wintergreen has larger, alternate leaves with fine teeth and upright shoots bearing urn-shaped flowers. Partridgeberry has tiny opposite leaves, creeping stems and paired flowers.

• Twinflower (Linnaea borealis)

  Twinflower bears paired, nodding pink bells on slender upright stalks and does not produce partridgeberry's conspicuous red berries.

Mitchella honours the botanist John Mitchell, while repens means creeping, describing the plant's trailing stems.

Propagation. Lift and separate naturally rooted stem sections in spring or autumn, keeping roots moist until replanted. Seed propagation is slow and requires patience because dormancy can delay germination.

Accepted botanical name

Mitchella repens

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Guatemala, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Masachusettes, Mexico Northeast and Mexico Southeast.

Measured

Average height 6 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.