Botanical name:

Gaultheria macrostigma 

Common name(s):

Prostrate snowberry

About:

A low sprawling shrub typically grows to about 20 cm tall. Its leathery leaves are short, narrow, and present a dark green colour that adds to its visual appeal. Tiny flowers, which range from white to a subtle pinkish hue, bloom during the warmer months and are followed by attractive pink to red berries in the summer and autumn seasons. This plant requires a well-drained, gritty soil that is also rich in humus, and it thrives best when positioned in either full sun or light shade.

Natural habitat: 

Montane to lower sub-alpine (500- 1500m) open grasslands and rocky places

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Shade, Wind & Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s North, South & Stewart Islands.

Height: 50cm

Flowering: 

April - May with a Red/Pink or White coloured flowers   

Fruiting:

May - July with a red or white coloured fruit.

Uses: 

Bird food / Attractant, Bee food & Riparian Plantings.

How to grow:

Grown from fresh seed, cuttings. 

** Seed germinates without pre treatment. 4 weeks cold stratification will help speed this up though