One of the primary non-rhododendron collections that we focus upon and feature in the RSBG is the Gaultheria collection. The gaultherias or “wintergreens’ are a widespread group of plants related to rhododendrons. They are called wintergreen because the species native in eastern North America, Gaultheria procumbens, was one of the few evergreens found growing in the forests that greeted the first colonists upon their arrival in New England. This species is the most commonly cultivated wintergreen due to its hardiness, its use as a dwarf evergreen groundcover and its large red berries. It is also the original source for the flavor wintergreen. On the Pacific Coast of North America, the most commonly encountered species is the ...