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Project Noah Nature School
Chimaphila umbellata
Dwarf evergreen shrub up; to 35 cm tall. Leaves bright green, shiny, oblong. Flowers whitish-pink to rose , waxy, saucer-shaped, slightly perfumed, nodding, several (3 - 15) in a small loose cluster.
Well-drained sites in coniferous forests, clearings, in humus and on rotting wood on low to middle elevations.
The Saanich used to put the leaves of this plant into the bath to relieve sore muscles. The Stl'atl'imx used it as a tea for colds and influenza. It has shown hypoglycemic and anti-diuretic properties in experiments.
Spotted on Aug 20, 2012
Submitted on Sep 28, 2012
4 Comments
pretty..i never seen it..
Thanks! I love the possible medicinal uses of this little wintergreen plant. I might try to find some not in a park and experiment with it.....next year, I guess! Autumn is here.
pretty!
This is a very small flower! So intricate and beautiful!