Partridge Berry as a Non-Aggressive, Pest-Resistant Groundcover

Reader Contribution by Barry Glick and Sunshine Farm And Gardens
Published on March 3, 2016
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Mitchella repens has opposite, evergreen, glossy, oval to heart-shaped leaves, 1/2 inch across, with parallel veining in the midrib and carpets the ground with its 12- to 18-inch vines. The bright red berries are edible, but nowhere near as tasty as Gaultheria procumbens (Teaberry), and persist all winter unless the partridges, grouse, fox or other wildlife discover them.

Native to 35 states and 3 provinces of Canada east of the Mississippi, this extremely useful groundcover is rarely seen in the trade. I fail to see why, as it’s very easy to propagate by rooting cuttings or from seed. In fact, it forms adventitious roots as it gently winds its way around the garden. It could never, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered aggressive or invasive. 

And guess what else! I just happened to have a pot at eye level and discovered that the pink to pure white, tubular flowers that occur in pairs from June to July are really very fragrant. Here’s a closeup of the flowers – and another here.

As I said, the flowers occur in pairs and after fertilization, the two flower ovaries fuse together, giving rise to a single red fruit. The two dimples on the fruit reveal its fused nature.

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