FREE: Rare wildflower Pipsissewa - 5 seeds - Free Shipping

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Chimaphila umbellata (Striped Wintergreen, Pipsissewa, or Prince's Pine) is a small perennial flowering plant found in dry woodlands, or sandy soils. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere. It grows 10-35 cm tall, and has evergreen shiny, bright green, toothed leaves arranged in opposite pairs or whorls of 3-4 along the stem. The plants are easily identified by the white stripe along the midline of the leaf. The ones I have produce white flowers.

I have about 21 tiny (less than 10 cm tall) plants around my yard and I generally leave them alone where they show up, although I have successfully transplanted them. They show up in shady spots but will tolerate sun. They grow in an acid soil under pine and hemlock trees.

Although it has green leaves year-round, it receives a significant portion of its nutrition from fungi in the soil (that is, it is a partial myco-heterotroph, which is not surprising as related plants, such as Pyrola, are partial or full myco-heterotrophs). For this reason, it is tricky to start them from seed.

I am offering 5 seeds for any brave soul or expert gardener who would enjoy the challenge of raising these from seed. I will enclose a tiny packet of the native soil in which the plants are growing.

Photos 2 and 3 are of some of my pipsissewa plants in bloom!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaphila_umbellata