Prickly heath
Gaultheria mucronata

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

Gaultheria mucronata is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1.2 m (4ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from October to December. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Open wet Nothfagus and Drimys forest, dominant or co-dominant with Chiliotrichum in shrub communities fringing forests above high water mark and in transition to swamps and bogs from sea level to 700m

S. America - S. Chile, S. Argentina.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Australia, Chile, South America, Tasmania,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. The lilac-coloured fruit does not look tremendously edible, and the texture is somewhat like polystyrene - but the fruit of some forms is juicy, almost melts in the mouth, has a very pleasant slightly sweet flavour and makes a very good dessert fruit. The fruit is up to 12mm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

The plant can be used to make a low hedge. A good ground cover plant for a sunny position, forming dense thickets. They are best spaced about 60cm apart each way. Plants can be cut back in the spring if they are becoming too lanky and open in growth.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Ground cover: Ground Cover

Hedge: Hedge

How it is grown

Requires a light well-drained lime-free soil. Requires a moist acid soil according to another report. Prefers a sunny position but succeeds in light shade though it fruits less well in such a position. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c. Plants spread quite freely, forming thickets by means of suckers. Plants sometimes have hermaphrodite flowers but are usually dioecious and at least one male plant is required for every 5 or 6 females if fruit is required. A very ornamental shrub, there are many named varieties. 'Davis's Hybrids' is said to be hermaphrodite. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.

Propagating it: The seed requires a period of cold stratification. Pre-chill for 4 - 10 weeks and surface sow in a lime-free compost in a shady part of the greenhouse and keep moist. The seed usually germinates well, usually within 1 - 2 months at 20°c, but the seedlings are liable to damp off. Watering them with care and making sure they get ample ventilation will reduce this risk. Watering them with a garlic infusion can help to prevent damping off. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are about 25mm tall and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. The seedlings are susceptible to spring frosts and so it might be wise to give them some protection in their first spring or two outdoors.. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 3 - 6cm long, July/August in a frame in a shady position. They form roots in late summer or spring. A good percentage usually take. Division in spring just before new growth begins. 'Drop' the plants 12 months earlier by digging them up and replanting them deeper in the soil so that the branches are buried and can form roots. This works best in a sandy soil. It is best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse until they are established. Plant them out in the summer. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; Hedge;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 5-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Arbutus mucronata. Pernettya mucronata. P. speciosa.