While the quality of these photos are not my best due to low light conditions and the camera being handheld, I wanted to share the unusual flowering in our woods of Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), also known as Pipsissewa or Spotted Wintergreen.
The flowers have interesting double stamens, are sticky and fragrant, attracting insects and the above spider, which is probably looking for ants.
From the web: “Striped Wintergreen a native, evergreen, rhizomatous wildflower in the shinleaf family and is found in dry woods in the eastern US. The white midrib stripe on the dark green leaf is an identifying characteristic. During the summer fragrant white to pinkish flowers appear in small nodding clusters. It is considered endangered in some states.”
Eliza Waters 
I think the flowers have very mild yet sweet fragrance👍🌹🙏
Thank you, Francis.
Most welcome.👍🌹🙏
With the ‘Wildlife’ subject I was expecting something BIG! 🤣 the flowers are beautiful. There’s a plant in our woods I need to find again & ID.
Wildflowers, wild spider, wild ants… you get the idea. 😉
Delightful! I love learning new things about plants.
Thank you, Val. These are indeed rare and I have just the one plant (that I’ve seen) on our land.
Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal and commented:
I’ve seen samples of another sub-species of this rare and delicate woodland flower that grows in the temperate forests of the Pacific NW… in places. It’s always a delight to spot delicate flowers growing in the shadows of towering giant Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce…
I would love to see those, not to mention visiting the PNW! Thanks for your reblog, Eliza!
Pity the images are a little blurred, such sweet flowers!
IKR? I didn’t want to use a flash, but I suppose there are many images online that show them to better effect. But no cute spider! 😉
I suppose we can’t have everything!
So true. 😉
Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie ~ Authors.
Thank you for reblogging! ❤
A most unusual plant – thank you for the introduction!
You’re welcome, Anne!
What a pretty flower
Thank you, Karina. Sorry the photos weren’t better!
Good to see, even if the light was low. I had never heard of them. Also, enjoyed the little spider.
Thank you, Laurie. They prefer pine woods, so your area certainly has the best habitat for them. However, I’ve only seen them a handful of times in my life, so they are pretty unusual.
They’re very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Maria.
I’ve never seen one, so thank you for sharing. Beautiful and unique.
Thank you, Judy. They seem to like pine woods like Pyrola, which are in the same family.
Glad to see you have this in your yard. I usually find several Noble Prince’s-pine, also called Pipsissewa, that are similarly flowered although differently leaved, next to a pond in North Quabbin but only one this year which I have yet to process and share. Nice little spider on the first flowers.
Thank you, Steve. They are rare little plants to see. I’m sure you would have done a much better job of it with your awesome camera. 🙂
Do you know if they are as far south as northern Pennsylvania? I can find teaberry plants on the mountains there. Do you know if they are related at all? (internet was not helpful)
The link I gave was from a NC ext., so the plant is found that far south. It prefers acidic (6.0) woodlands, like dry pine woods. Both this plant and teaberry are in the Ericaceae family and grow in similar situations, so you may well find them in PA.
Thanks!
Wow! Amazing
Thank you, Karen. ❤
Interesting plant. The shot with the spider suggests that the flowers are relatively small – is that the case?
Yes, about 1/2″ in diameter. Sweet little things!
Such sweet little flowers!
Thank you, Julie! I agree. 🙂
Very interesting, I have not seen this flower before.
Thank you, Maria. I think it mainly grows in the eastern US woodlands. I’ve only seen it a handful of times in my whole life. This is the only one I have here and it has not increased in 30 years!
Wow, no wonder I have never seen it.
Exquisite and so unique, Eliza. You are always so full of information … you amaze me. Never have I heard of these flowers yet due to you, I now do. Thank you! xo
Thank you, Amy. I just had to give it some press. 😉
You’re welcome!! SMILE!!
What a beautiful little discovery! Glad you shared it.
Thank you, Lisa. Even though I didn’t do it photographic justice, its presence is noted! 🙂
I remember those from woods in North Georgia. Haven’t seen one in years. Never a colony, just one or two…
Yes, they seem to grow sparsely. After 30 years here, there are still only 3 little sprouts with only one blooming. No wonder they are rare!
I’ve never heard of the shinleaf botanical family. I looked up the name and found this explanation in the American Heritage Dictionary: “Probably from the use of its leaves in plasters for sore legs.”
From the link I gave: “Native Americans used its leaf tea to treat rheumatism and stomach problems, and crushed leaves were applied as a poultice to sores and wounds.” Since there are so few plants that I have seen in my life and it reproduces so slowly, they may have been over-harvested by earlier settlers, because I can’t imagine finding enough to make a tea or poultice!
It’s also possible that the English name shinleaf came into use based on a different and—based on what you say about the scarcity of your plants—perhaps more abundant species in the same family. For example, the English plant name groundsel developed from two Old English words meaning ‘pus swallower,’ from the use of one or more European species to reduce abscesses. When the English came to America they brought the name with them, but I don’t know if any of the Texas groundsel species were ever used to treat abscesses.
Lovely wildflowers. Not sure that I have seen these before. 😊
Thank you, Irene. I love the leaf markings esp.
Quite interesting stamens, cool upshot!
Thank you kindly, Donna!
Beautiful and teeny! Love it.
Thank you, Carol!
Attractive little plant, I don’t believe I’ve seen it before.
Thank you, Belinda. It is rare to see one even here.
Eliza where are you? I wonder if I have these flowers in eastern NH. You can keep the spiders I am so allergic to all of their bites 🙂
I’m in western MA– they are native to our area and prefer pine woods, so you might look there.
I have lots of Pines 🙂 Where in MA I am there all the time west is the best lol
Very pretty and unusual Eliza.
Thank you, Andrea.
beautiful
Thank you, Niraj!