Partridgeberry
What I like about this photo is that we can see this year’s flowers and also see one of last year’s berries still tucked there. A very distinctive plant with the strong midrib. The Latin name is Mitchella repens. Also called s*uawvine but this is a slur so we do not use that name. This herb is a uterine tonic without equal. The terminal 2 inches of the plant are the part we harvest; just after it flowers. A large patch is frequently all the same plant so be mindful when harvesting and pick from a selection of colonies. The plant likes moist shade. Partridgeberry contains arbutus – making it a plant that is also useful for acute conditions of the urinary tract. Combines well with raspberry in the last trimester of pregnancy. For issues with the female reproductive system partridgeberry combines well with chaste tree. I have read descriptions of the berry as tasty and I would describe them more as meh. Edible yes, tasty – more that they taste like nothing. When I see this plant I also look around for wintergreen, pipsissewa, and goldthread as they favour the same areas to grow in. Evergreen, the plant can be harvested even in the winter.
As a uterine tonic partridgeberry has been used traditionally for threatened miscarriages. Best combined with other herbs and used with the advice and guidance of an experienced herbalist.