Creeping snowberry

Creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula) is an evergreen small shrub or shrub native to the lower 48 states of the United States and found in the state of Maryland; it may or may not be native to Maryland.USDA Plants Database, This plant (or a varietal) is on Maryland's endangered list.
== Identification ==
Its foliage is typically dark green and has conspicuous fall interest. Foliage is retained in winter. It has white flowers which appear in mid spring. Red fruit, which may be edible (but consult a reliable source before eating), is sparsely produced from summer to fall.
It grows slowly from runners to a height of about 0.5 feet with roots at least 12 inches deep, and has a lifespan over 250 years. It will readily resprout even if cut down to the ground.
== Cultivation ==
The USDA believes this plant to be unavailable for purchase. It is suitable for growing in a nursery. It is propagated by the following methods: bare root, container, cuttings, seed. Seeds will be more successful if cold stratification is used. Typically, this plant will seed itself at a slow rate, and new seedlings will have a low chance of success compared to other plants of this type.
Soil preferences: coarse/medium/fine soil, pH 4-6.5, medium fertilizer. Provide medium moisture. This plant has no salinity tolerance and medium drought tolerance. It tolerates shade.
== Uses and Relationships ==
At least some parts of the plant may be edible to humans. (Confirm against a reliable resource before attempting to eat any unknown plant.) If you're seeking to provide forage to wildlife, this plant is of medium value.
== More Information ==
The initial draft of this article was automatically generated from the Gaultheria hispidula profile in the USDA Plants Database. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) may or may not have a page for this genus with detailed range maps. (BONAP range maps are copyrighted and should not be placed directly on our wiki.)
== References ==
Category:Gaultheria Category:Native shrubs Category:North American natives Category:Threatened or endangered natives Category:Edible natives Category:White-flowered natives Category:Mid Spring blooming natives Category:Fruiting natives Category:Natives with dark green foliage Category:Natives with conspicuous fall foliage Category:Natives with winter foliage Category:Slow-growing natives Category:Spreading natives Category:Self-seeding natives Category:Natives under 1 foot tall Category:Shade-tolerant natives Category:Medium moisture demand natives Category:Drought tolerant natives Category:USDA native stubs