Bloomipedia
Creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula)
Photo: aarongunnar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Creeping snowberry

Gaultheria hispidula

Creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Maine

Creeping snowberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

17states where USDA records it
813ME sightings*
5,254U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine

Quick look

Gaultheria hispidula, commonly known as the creeping snowberry or moxie-plum, and known to Mi'kmaq tribes of Newfoundland as manna teaberry, is a perennial spreading ground-level vine of the heath family Ericaceae. It is native to North America and produces small white edible berries. It fruits from August to September. Its leaves and berries taste and smell like wintergreen.

  • It belongs to the Ericaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Maine. NatureServe
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 0.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 813 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #92 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (12 records)

There are only a handful of Maine flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. Maine rare plant list
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S2), ID (S2), MD (S1), NJ (SH), OH (SX), RI (S1), WA (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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 creeping snowberry in 17 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Creeping snowberry a low shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.0 to 6.5 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance
Low
Drought tolerance
Medium
Moisture use
Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range
4.0 to 6.5
Minimum temperature tolerated
-28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
110
Annual precipitation range
30 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth
12 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Medium
Growth rate
Slow
Lifespan
Long
Active growth period
Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed
Red · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability
No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for GAHI2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chiogenes hispidula.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 226 counties across 16 states; the most are in Michigan (48), New York (38), Wisconsin (37).

Other Gaultheria on Bloomipedia (2): Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap, Trailing arbutus (mayflower), Bearberry.

More Maine flowers

Ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

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🌼 Blooms in ME: July–September
Sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia)

Sheep laurel

Kalmia angustifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–July
Eastern teaberry (wintergreen) (Gaultheria procumbens)

Eastern teaberry (wintergreen)

Gaultheria procumbens

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–August

Sources