Are you looking for an alternative to the star of Bethlehem, which is the most common decorative plant in Slovak apartments in December? If you still like the color red, decide to grow wintergreen, which in its beauty does not lag behind its more popular colleague. Its fruits will immediately bring a festive atmosphere to your living room.
Wintergreen is a new hit among Christmas potted plants. It creates a magical atmosphere, but it is not as popular as the star of Bethlehem or the Christmas cactus, which usually decorate Slovak homes in December.
It can bring a breath of freshness to your interior. Gaultheria is easy to grow and will certainly stand out in the living room or bedroom, but also in the kitchenfor example as a decoration for the Christmas table. So be sure to take it home when you see it at the gardening store.
Wintergreen – what kind of plant is it? A competitor of the Star of Bethlehem brightened your holidays
Gaultheria is a plant from the heather family that can be grown in the garden as a shrub or in a pot. It has an exotic origin, because it grows naturally in North America, but it also does quite well in the Slovak climate.
Gaultheria planted at home usually reaches a height of about 10-15 cm, although there are also taller varieties. Jits advantage is dark green, shiny leaves and decorative red fruits in a shade of intense coralwhich appear in winter and make it a wonderful Christmas decoration. It blooms pink from July to August.
How to grow wintergreen so that it delights with its beauty not only during the holidays?
The plant is not particularly demanding, but it does best in humus, acidic (pH between 3.5 to 4.2) and moderately moist soil. It has similar requirements to traditional heather.
It is not a problem to grow it in a darker corner of the apartment, though prefers brighter, preferably semi-shady locations. When it comes to wintergreen careit should be watered regularly, but with a small amount of water, because this plant does not tolerate excessive watering.
Its fruits are edible, although not very tasty, but the most valuable nutrients are found in the leaves of the plant, from which (therefore) extracts are often obtained. They contain essential oils, tannins and glycosides.
Thanks to this, the plant has anti-inflammatory, warming, antibacterial and analgesic properties. Extracts from it can help with muscle pain, joint pain and swelling. They are also used in inhalations and aromatherapy to help the patient relax, among other things.
A poinsettia does not have to be red. These varieties bloom white
