Partridgeberry
Mitchella repens
This short and sweet cutie patootie is a mat-forming, low-growing shrub found in woodlands all over eastern North America. This plant has so many admirable qualities, from its shiny, evergreen foliage with white veining to its pairs of fragrant, fuzzy flowers to its large red berries, prized by wildlife and persistent through winter. This is not an aggressive groundcover to outcompete your pesky non-native pachysandra, but a compact and adorable addition to any woodland, rock, or pond garden. Blooms sporadically from spring to fall, and essential for the winter garden!
Conditions: Part shade to full shade; rich, moist, well-drained soils; tolerates occasional drought
Size: 2″ height, 2′ spread (groundcover)
Zone: 3 – 8
Wildlife Value: Pollinated by bumblebees; fruit eaten by all manner of critters including grouse, quail, wild turkey, red fox, eastern skunk, and eastern chipmunk
