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Gaultheria hispida
Also called Snow Berry
Gaultheria hispida, commonly known as the copperleaf snowberry, is an endemic eudicot of Tasmania, Australia. It is an erect multi-branched shrub, that can be found in wet forests and alpine woodlands. Its berries appear snowy white and leaves are tipped with a copper tinge, hence the common name.
G. hispida can be easily propagated from cuttings or seeds, making it a favourable garden plant. They are best suited to a constantly moist, well-drained site, with loamy and or fertile soils.
The genus Gaultheria is found across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and North and South America. The plant is found exclusively in Tasmania and some parts of Victoria. The species is considered endangered within Victoria and of conservation significance in Tasmania but is neither threatened nor uncommon. G. hispida is most abundant in cool, moist, mountain or alpine areas, between 250–1,100 m (9,800–43,300 in).
The fruit of G. hispida are edible and have bitter taste. They were commonly collected by Tasmanian Aboriginal People as bushfood and were eaten by early settlers. Other members of the genus Gaultheria have been used to make teas and jellies, and even claimed to have natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Gaultheria puradyatmikae · Wintergreen · Gaultheria adenothrix · Bush Snowberry · Wax Berry · Scarlet Snowberry · Gaultheria cuneata · Mountain Snowberry · Gaultheria floribunda · Gaultheria fragrantissima · Creeping snowberry · Alpine spicywintergreen
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Gaultheria hispida by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
