An evergreen, the species has creeping, underground stems and erect branches with narrow leaves. Wintergreen is harvested in several Appalachian and northeastern areas of the United States. The plant is generally found in partially woody areas on moist sandy or peat soils of low pH and high in organic matter. Although usually collected in the wild, the task is very labor intensive, and cultivation of wintergreen is practiced. Commercial cultivation areas should mimic natural growing conditions.
Fermentation allows the enzyme primeveroside to free the glycoside-bound methyl salicylate.
The plant has little odor or flavor until the methyl salicylate is free. The oil of wintergreen is used as a flavoring agent in confections, chewing gums, nonalcoholic beverages, herbal teas, toothpaste, and mouthwashes. Synthetic methyl salicylate and, to a lesser extent, an essential oil obtained from young twigs and bark of the sweet or black birch tree, Betula lenta of the Betulaceae family, have largely replaced the use of natural wintergreen for flavoring of products. As a medicinal plant, wintergreen has been traditionally as an analgesic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulant, and tonic. The plant is used as a folk remedy against colic, headaches, body aches and pains, inflammations, rheumatism, sore throats, skin diseases, and tooth decay.