Was the small plant in last week’s puzzler one you’ve seen and recognized? It is a native wildflower, growing less than 8 inches tall, called Pipsissewa, also called Spotted Wintergreen, Striped Wintergreen, Striped Prince’s Pine, Dragon’s Tongue, Rheumatism Root, and the best and most accurate name– Chimaphila maculata.
This is one of the perfect examples of how a plant’s common name can cause confusion, as in Maine and the northeast, there is a flower they call Pipsissewa that is not this! Rather than have the white stripe down the middle of the leaf, their Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) has plain, green leaves, with no stripes.
Chimaphila maculata /Pipsissewa is native to the eastern United States, from Ontario south to Georgia and west to Texas. In some parts of its range it is currently listed as endangered. It is found in mixed woodlands as well as coniferous woodlands, spreading through underground rhizomes.
Time for another puzzler! Let’s stay on our track of looking at plants–going from the forest floor, a little higher. This week’s puzzler is a small tree that has waxy leaves and white, drooping flowers.