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

Flower profile

Creeping snowberry

Gaultheria hispidula

Native to Maine

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

17states
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 #91 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. iNaturalist

Creeping snowberry gift ideas

Handmade creeping snowberry 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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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.

More Maine flowers

Ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

Ghost pipe

Monotropa uniflora

Native

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

Eastern teaberry (wintergreen)

Gaultheria procumbens

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–August
Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys)

Pinesap

Monotropa hypopitys

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–August

Sources