The genus Gaultheria is named for the 18th Century Quebequois Physician and Botanist, Dr. Gaultier. The procumbens species owes its scientific name to its prone growth habit, and its common names to its physical features. Gaultherias are native to North America, Australia and nearby islands, E Asia, and the Himalayas. They occur in shaded woodlands in deep acidic loam and under medium shade. They are sometimes cultivated for their beauty as landscape plants.
Wintergreen plants have small, alternating deep-green ovate leaves with serrate edges.
Their leaves produce a heavy volatile oil which is used for flavoring candies and as an aromatic stimulant. In North America, Wintergreen was grown and gathered for its medicinal and flavoring properties before the advent of modern commercial chemistry. The pure oil causes irritation to the skin and membranes due to it's stimulant and astringent properties. The English use of the word wintergreen dates to 1548, according to Oxford's Universal. The name Wintergreen has been used for various ground-creepers which stay green through the winter, such as Pyrola , Chimaphila , Trientalis , or Polygala .