Gaultheria rigida

Gaultheria rigida is a shrub that stays green all year. It belongs to Ericaceae, the heath family. Its home range spans western South America to northern Venezuela. Kew places it in a subalpine or subarctic climate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Plants For A Future also lists the name Pernettya rigida. The sources give no sound figures for its full-grown height or spread. They say little about how it branches or its shape.

The shrub keeps its leaves through the whole year. The evidence gives no leaf size or colour for this species. It gives no details on the bark or stems. The flowers have both male and female organs. Plants For A Future says insects pollinate the flowers. The sources do not say when the plant blooms. They give no flower colour or fruit looks for this species. Accounts of the genus as a whole cannot fill these gaps.

Plants For A Future says sandy soil and loam suit it. The soil can range from mildly to very acid. Its species notes say it likes moist ground. They allow both full shade and part shade. Its garden notes favour woodland shade with patches of light. They also suggest a shaded edge, but rule out deep shade. These two sets of light advice do not agree. A woodland site in part shade fits both accounts best. The source does not confirm how well it bears British winters. Its wider growing notes concern the genus, not this species.

Plants For A Future lists the fruit as food, raw or cooked. It rates the food value one out of five. It reports no known use as medicine or for other tasks. The source lists no known hazards. This does not prove it is safe for people or pets. The evidence suggests woodland planting as its main garden use. It gives no supported wildlife value beyond insects that pollinate it.

The notes on raising plants call for four to ten weeks of cold treatment. They then suggest sowing on the surface of moist, lime-free compost in shade. Seeds may sprout in one to two months at 68°F (20°C). The notes warn that seedlings can suffer damping off. They call for care with watering and good air flow. Young plants should spend their first winter under cover in a greenhouse. These notes give no firm rating for how much outdoor cold it can bear.