| Latin Name : | Gaultheria fragrantissima |
| English Name : | Wintergreen |
| French Name : | Thé des bois, gaulthérie odorante |
| Family : | Ericaceae |
| Origin : | Nepal |
History and Origin
Our Northern wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) likes to grow in coniferous regions; and it grows better in sandy soils. Its generic name has been given for Jean-François Gaulthier (1708-1756), botanist and King’s physician in Quebec. He was the one who communicated the existence of the plant to Linné through Pier Kalm. Wintergreen grows as a shrub below 20 cm tall and bears between June and July white flowers that transform into tiny red fruits. Its leaves are evergreen, and that is where its common name came from “Wintergreen”. Wintergreen is present in Canada, Asia and Central America, where it grows much taller. For distillation, it would not be wise to collect the resource here, since it is so reduced in size. That is why the essential oil is imported from Nepal, where it grows abundantly in the wild and in altitude.