Flower profile
Bog wintergreen
Pyrola asarifolia
Bog wintergreen is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Pyrola asarifolia, commonly known as liverleaf wintergreen, bog wintergreen, alpine wintergreen, pink wintergreen, or pink shinleaf, is a plant species of the genus Pyrola native to North America. It is found in Canada and northern US, primarily in cool, moist environments. It is so named simply because its leaves maintain their green color through winter. It has uses in traditional medicine.
- It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska and Montana. NatureServe
- In Alaska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,355 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #27 among the 108 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 468 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #98 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
Bog wintergreen gift ideas
Handmade bog wintergreen gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Bog wintergreen art print
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Bog wintergreen greeting card
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Bog wintergreen mug
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Bog wintergreen earrings
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Bog wintergreen embroidery pattern
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Bog wintergreen sticker
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Alaska
- No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1), IN (S1), MA (S1), NY (S2), VT (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records bog wintergreen in 27 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.
Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Cascade, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Hill, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Park, Phillips, Powell, Sanders, Silver Bow.
More Alaska flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PYAS.
- iNaturalist, Pyrola asarifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Pyrola asarifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Pyrola asarifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dee Shea Himes via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.