Description

General - a creeping broadleaf evergreen shrublet, up to 10 cm tall; stems creeping or trailing, with numerous short aerial stems rising from the stolon.

Leaves - opposite; inversely egg-shaped to rounded, tip blunt, base tapering to a short leafstalk; persisting for two years.

Flowers - pink, with 5 petals, bell-like in pairs; very fragrant, on Y-shaped stalks. Blooms June through September over most of its range; flowers last about 7 days.

Fruit - small, dry, one-seeded capsule, maturing approximately 36 days after flowering; appearing in August and September.

Habitat

Circumboreal; common throughout NW Ontario's boreal forests; in open shade, dry or moist sites, often associated with moss-covered surfaces

Notes

Used by Native North Americans to brew medicinal tea.

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