Prince's pine - Chimaphila umbellata
In the dry, sandy soil of the coniferous forest the dwarf wintergreen folk named prince's pine (Chimaphila umbellata) displays saucer shaped flowers with a large ovary protruding beyond the short waxy petals. Three or more flowers sit atop the slightly woody stem in nodding clusters and the shiny, leathery evergreen leaves with toothed margins whorl around the stem. The fruit is a brown erect capsule that holds many small seeds.
Chimaphila comes from Greek cheima meaning 'winter', referring to being always green, and philos 'loving'. Prince's pine also holds the name Pipsissewa, an adaptation of the Cree pipisisikweu meaning 'it breaks into pieces' alluding to the traditional usage for dissolving kidney stones.

In folk medicine the fresh leaves were gathered at any time through the growing season to be used as a urinary antiseptic, mild lymphatic stimulant and diuretic. The antiseptic qualities of prince's pine arise from the arbutin content. Once ingested, the arbutin is converted to hydroquinone by our gastric juices. As long as the urine is alkaline, hydroquinone is an effective anti-microbial that enhances the antiseptic activity in the urinary tract.

Prince's pine is difficult to propagate and grow in cultivation, mainly because it has certain mycorrhizal associations in the wild and these are necessary if the plant is to thrive. If you are collecting the seed from wild stocks take a little of the soil in the immediate area to assist the plant in adapting to your garden.

Prince's pine has been commercially harvested from the wild in the U.S. for use in a commercial beverage and now it is being over-harvested in Canada as well. This is putting a considerable strain on this 'at risk' plant. Since prince's pine is becoming threatened, other more plentiful herbs such as one of the other wintergreens (Pyrola spp.) or bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), should be substituted. Pyrolas have similar chemical constituents and medicinal action, as does bearberry, which is quite plentiful in the wild and easily cultivated. Such ethical practices will protect the remaining colonies of prince's pine.

As more and more wild medicinal plants are being threatened by commercial harvesting and loss of habitat herbalists are encouraging the use of one or more other plants (referred to as analogs) that have the same physiological action or have the same chemical constituents. The most desirable situation would be the use of commercially grown analogs, if they are not available next in line are non-native, alien plants that may be used as an alternative. In many instances these non-native species are much more widely distributed, and in a few cases, invasive. Many of these alien species are powerful medicinal.  
 
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