Gaultheria shallon
- Size at maturity: 1-5' tall, 1-5' wide
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Canopy layer: small shrub
- Light requirements: full shade, part sun / part shade
- Moisture requirements: dry to moist soil
- Growth rate: medium
- Special features: evergreen, medicinal, edible, supports hummingbirds
Salal is an evergreen shrub that may form dense patches in drier coniferous forests. The flowers are urn-shaped and range from white to pinkish. Salal blooms from May to July and the reddish flower stalks bend so that the loose 6-inch clusters of flowers are oriented in one direction. The leaves are egg-shaped and alternate, thick and leathery but shiny. The dark purple to black berries are edible but often bland. The berries attract birds. (Portland Plant List, 2016)
Photo Credit 1: "Salal" by CAJC: in the PNW is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo Credit 2: "File:Salal (Gaultheria shallon) Leaf and Flowers.jpg" by Wingchi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo Credit 3: "Salal Gaultheria shallon" by brewbooks is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0