Striped Prince’s Pine or Spotted Wintergreen [Chimaphila maculata] found near mile marker 437 on the Blue Ridge Parkway on 25 July 2013 and in Travelers Rest, SC on 28 May 2016. It’s a member of the Shinleaf (Pyrolaceae) family. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, pages 284-285, says it blooms in summer in dry woods.
Timothy P. Spira’s Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains & Piedmont, page 349, has the plant listed as Pipsissewa or Striped Wintergreen. It also says:
Of the 2 species of Chimaphila in our region, pipsissewa (C. maculata) is more common; its leaves have whitish green stripes along the major veins, whereas prince’s pine (C. umbellata) has solid green leaves throughout.
USDA Plants Listing: Chimaphila maculata
Striped Prince’s Pine on Blue Ridge Parkway – 25 July 2013
Look carefully at the dark-green, striped leaves at the base of the plant’s reddish stem.
Striped Prince’s Pine – 25 July 2013
Striped Prince’s Pine – 27 July 2013
Striped Prince’s Pine (held) – 16 June 2014
Striped Wintergreen on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Travelers Rest, SC – 28 May 2016
