Checkerberry: location, planting and care

The checkerberry is a low-growing ericaceous plant. Above all, it impresses with its decorative flowers and berries and its low maintenance requirements. However, the berries are not suitable for consumption.

The plant genus, also known as partridge berry, includes numerous species that differ in growth height and the color of the flowers and berries. We introduce you to the most beautiful species for the garden and give tips on how to care for and plant them.

Checkerberry: origin and properties

The checkerberry (Gaultheria) is a genus of plants from eastern North America and is also known as partridge berry or American periwinkle. But it also occurs in South America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The evergreen shrubs or subshrubs belong to the heather family (Ericacea) and can also be cultivated as an ornamental plant in our latitudes. The genus includes about 135 species that reach heights between 10 and 250 cm. However, the species used in the garden do not grow larger than 1 m.

The cloudberry blooms between May and September. The flowering time differs from species to species. The flowers are bell- or tubular-shaped and mostly white or pink. Bumblebees also like to visit the cloudberry at this time. The fruits are not real berries, but only pseudoberries, which are actually capsule fruits with fleshy sepals. That also explains the trivial name of the Gaultheria. Depending on the species, the fruits can be red, white, pink, purple or blue and appear after flowering.

The leaves of the partridge berry are 1.5 to 5 cm long and green and glossy. Their shape is ovate, sometimes tapering, and the leaf margin is toothed or notched. The leaves turn bronze in the autumn months. The checkerberry is perennial, so you can enjoy it for many years.

Tip: The leaves of the haricot contain a lot of salicylic acid methyl ester, which helps against fever and pain. Therefore, before the artificial production of salicylic acid, the leaves of Gaultheria procumbens similar to how aspirin is used. It is still available today as wintergreen oil.

The prettiest types and varieties of checkerberries for the garden

To the genus Gaultheria include about 135 species. Some of them can also be planted in the garden. We introduce you to the most popular types of cloudberries.

• Lower checkerberry (Gaultheria procumbens): It is probably the most popular berry for the garden and is also called red berry or red carpet berry. This is due to its creeping habit and the red fruits that appear in the fall. It grows about 20 cm high.

• Shallon Gingerberry (Gaultheria shallon): This species is also called high partridge berry because it can grow to a height of up to 100 cm. It develops almost black fruits after the white-pink flowers.

• Gaultheria ovatifolia: This species remains quite small at 15 - 30 cm and has red fruits and white flowers.

• peat myrtle (Gaultheria mucronata): the peat myrtle is also called pungent cloudberry and can produce pink, red or purple berries depending on the variety.

• Glandular-haired checkerberry (Gaultheria adenothrix): This species also has beautiful flowers with striking red, hairy sepals. It comes from Japan and only tolerates temperatures down to around -7 °C.

Planting Gaultheria: location and procedure

Slightly acidic to acidic as well as moist and loose, peaty soils are suitable as a cloudberry location. The checkerberry thrives best in semi-shade. If you already have rhododendrons or azaleas (rhododendron) stand, will itself Gaultheria also develop well underneath as it prefers the same sites. Always plant the checkerberry flatly or in groups so that it comes into its own as a ground cover.

It easily tolerates the root pressure under the shrubs and benefits from the slightly higher humidity. Drought phases, dry air and wind are not tolerated by the checkerberry.

Tip: The checkerberry goes well with other ericaceous plants such as bell heather (Erica tetralix) or cranberry (Vaccinium oxycocco) be combined.

The month of March has proven to be a good time to plant the cloudberry, in order to give the plant enough time to get used to it. An onset in autumn is also possible.

Instruction: Planting berries

• First loosen the soil.
• Work the acidic substrate flat into the soil. A bog bed substrate, such as ours, is suitable for this Plantura Organic Acid Soil. It has an acidic pH and is made with reduced peat.

• Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball for each partridge berry.
• Unpot the plant and place in a bucket of water until the root ball is soaked.
• Pull the pads apart with your hands to encourage branching.
• Insert the cloudberry, fill the planting hole with acidic soil and press down firmly.
• Pour generously.
• Cover gaps with mulch, for example with the weakly acidic one Plantura organic pine bark. This is sustainably produced in Europe and helps keep the soil moist and suppress weeds.

Planting berries in a pot: It is also possible to grow the cloudberry in a pot or window box. However, this requires daily watering, as the small volume of substrate dries up faster. On the other hand, an acidic pH is easier to obtain in the small volume. Ours is also suitable here Plantura Organic Acid Soil excellent as a substrate. To prevent waterlogging, a drainage layer of potsherds should be laid in the pot. It is best to use a glazed pot for this so that less water evaporates.

Caring for the cloudberry: Watering, cutting & Co.

Gaultheriaspecies are considered robust and undemanding, which is why they are very popular with hobby gardeners and the cloudberry is also used as grave planting. However, the cloudberry is dependent on watering, as it does not tolerate drought. Rainwater or decalcified tap water should be used and the partridge berries should not be poured from above, but directly into the substrate.

To take care of Gaultheria includes a pruning in March or April, but this only has to be done every two to three years. Pruning old branches by a third encourages new growth. This keeps the plant young and floriferous. The withered flowers of the cloudberry should remain on the shrub so that the berries can develop from them.

From the second year of growth, the cloudberry should be supplied with fertilizer. A special fertilizer for plants that like an acidic environment, such as ours, is suitable for this Plantura organic hydrangea fertilizer. This gradually supplies the plants with all the important nutrients and lasts for three months. So it is sufficient to fertilize the checkerberry once in April and once in July.

propagate cloudberry

In addition to self-sowing and propagation by foothills, you can also propagate the cloudberry yourself. Cuttings or the division of the mother plant at the root ball and sowing are suitable for this.

For propagation by cuttings, cut about 10 cm long, half-ripe shoots from the mother plant in autumn. These should not have flowers. Apply some rooting hormone to the interface and put the cuttings in potting soil. These are placed in a warm and bright place without direct sun at around 12 to 15 °C. Keep the soil moist. If new leaves grow, the propagation was successful and you can plant the cuttings outside in spring.

You also have the option of harvesting seeds yourself by harvesting the ripe fruit in spring and extracting the seeds. Clean the seeds with water and spread them on acidic substrate. The seeds should not be covered with soil, but kept well moist. To increase the humidity, you can stretch a film over the pot and later put a plastic bag over the seedlings.

Is the checkerberry hardy?

With all the advantages of Gaultheria However, the question remains: Is the cloudberry hardy? Yes, Galutheria is hardy and tolerates temperatures down to -20 °C. If it gets colder, a cover with spruce or fir branches in the bed is suitable. Since the soil in the pot freezes faster than in the bed, the Gaultheria not hardy here and should be protected by fleece and a layer of mulch. A cover is also recommended in the year of planting. Mild weather conditions can be used to water the cloudberry. Gaultheria is not only hardy, but required as a cold germinator even the cold temperatures to multiply.

Is the checkerberry poisonous?

The checkerberry is poisonous when its fruit is eaten. For example, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting can occur. Children in particular should be kept away from the partridge berry. Dogs, cats and birds do not avoid the plant for nothing, as it can also be poisonous to animals. The leaves, on the other hand, are edible and are used to make chewing gum and toothpaste, among other things. The leaves also have a pain-relieving and fever-reducing effect due to the salicylic acid methyl ester they contain.

Blueberries are also ericaceous plants with similar requirements as the cloudberry. With us you will learn everything about the topic Planting and care of blueberries.