San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Winter's Bark can be found from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego. It is a small evergreen tree with fragrant white flowers in loose umbels. Its fame was in its aromatic bark that has cured sailors in past centuries from scurvy, a lack of ascorbic acid particularly affecting seaman on long voyages.

Sir Francis Drake on his journey around the world in 1577-80 had on board Captain William Winter, a doctor, who discovered from natives living in the Straits of Magellan that the bark of this local tree called "Canelo," in Chile, and brewed as a tea, would keep sailors from becoming ill. Vitamin C, vital to good health and unknown then, was present in the bark. William Winter's ship was the only one of five to survive the trip around the Horn and return safely to England. Later, Captain Cook used the same bark tea (plus sauerkraut!) for his sailors on his voyages of discovery between 1770-75, enabling him to stay at sea for years, circumnavigating the globe, and exploring Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and many other places.

Drimys winteri needs a sheltered frost-free place in the garden, and rewards the gardener with a long blooming period while filling the air with its fragrance.