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Pipsissewa

Chimaphila umbellata

27
Good

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
About 1.5 feet
Light
2 or more hours of direct sun
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
Late spring
Fruiting season
Summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Soil

Recorded in 3 West Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Chimaphila

  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Exelis pyrolariaFine-Lined Gray
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Chimaphila

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Chimaphila

  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ericaceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “About 1.5 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Leaf retention · “Evergreen” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS3
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources