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Lesser wintergreen

Lesser wintergreen

Pyrola minor

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How common: Common

Lesser wintergreen is a small woodland plant with a short spike of drooping white or pale pink bell‑like flowers. Its glossy, evergreen leaves make a low cluster at the base. It grows in cool, moist forests across northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America.

Did you know?

  • Its leaves stay green under the snow all winter.
  • It sometimes forms hybrids with Round‑leaved wintergreen.

About the species

Identification

A small perennial, 5–20 cm tall, spreading by creeping runners. The flowering stem is upright, smooth and mostly leafless. Leaves form a low base cluster: 2–5 cm, broadly oval, slightly wrinkled, often reddish, with a rounded to very short‑pointed tip; the leaf stalk is usually shorter than the leaf. Flowers hang in a short upright cluster; each is nearly round and almost closed, 5–7 mm, white or pale pink. The central tip stays hidden inside the flower—unlike in Round‑leaved wintergreen, where it sticks out clearly. Later, small drooping round capsules release dust‑like seeds by wind. Flowers in Finland in June–July.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

heath forest

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Moist to fresh conifer or mixed woods, edges of bogs and wet hollows, and along forest ditches; in the north also on heaths and late‑snow patches. Sometimes on old gravel pits. Common throughout Finland.

Sources

Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyrola minor Gruszyczka mniejsza 2019-06-27 01.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38626

Text: Pinkka: IPS-153 Flora of Subarctic Europe - Nardus-Pyrola, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38626

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38626

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikkutalvikki

See also