Pyrola elliptica is an evergreen wildflower that produces unbranched, six to ten-inch stalks that each bear 3 to 21 flowers. The petals on the hanging/nodding flowers can be a waxy white, greenish-white or yellowish-green and may have greenish veins on the petals. The basal leaves grow at the bottom of the plant. It can be found growing in mostly dry, sandy or loamy wooded areas and on shaded stream banks. It is rare in the mountains of NC. Its common name, shinleaf, comes from the medicinal side of the plant. A drug similar to aspirin is produced by the plant. This drug has been reported to have analgesic properties and was used on bruised shins and other wounds. A plaster made from the leaves was called a shin plaster. It can be a difficult plant to grow. The best growing condition would be to gather and use soil from an area where the plant is currently growing. Division would be another means of propagation, again using soil as mention above.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.