Gaultheria shallon is an evergreen shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), native to western North America. In English, it is known as salal, shallon, or (mainly in Britain) gaultheria. The finely and sharply serrate leaves are shiny and dark green above. Gaultheria shallon is 0.4 to 3.05 metres (1⁄2 to 10 feet) tall, sprawling to erect.

Growth: Salal grows slowly, but will grow to over 6 ft (2m) in shady conditions. Plants in the sun usually grow only to about 3 ft (1m). It spreads by sprouting from underground stems. Habitat: It is one of the most common understory shrubs in our second-growth coniferous forests.

Salal commonly shares dominance with dwarf Oregon grape during postdisturbance years 7 to 50 in the Oregon Coast Range . Salal is a principal understory species in many Douglas-fir forests of the Olympic Mountains where it dominates 65- to 90-year-old and 300-year-old stands .

Locally, salal grows as an understory dominant in coastal coniferous forests commonly dominated by western hemlock, western redcedar, Port-Orford cedar, Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine, and Alaska cedar.

Description In the Pacific Northwest the native Douglas fir often sports a very thick groundcover of Salal which grows into a thick, tough soil binder. The florist trade also enjoys this plant as cut branches are widely used for flower arrangements.

Salal is an evergreen shrub in the heather family that is native to western North America and will develop thickets that make a good bird habitat. It is found as an understory shrub in the coastal NW at lower elevations. The form is erect to prostrate and stems root if growing on the ground.

Salal leaves range from 7 to 21 cm² in area, depending on light conditions (Huffman and others 1994b; Messier 1992) and persist on the plant from 2 to 4 years (Haeussler and Coates 1986). A handsome ornamental,

Broadleaved evergreen shrub, less than 2 ft (0.6 m) tall in full sun and poor soil, but 4-10 ft (1.2-3 m) in shade and good soil, nearly equal spread, dense, developing into thickets, branches erect. Leaves alternate, simple, oval-rounded, glossy bright green, 5-10 cm long, bristly serrate.

Sep 26, 2024 · Salal is a handsome and resilient evergreen understory shrub found in coastal forests from British Columbia to southern California. It is notable for its dark green oval leaves and its purple-to-black berry-like fruits.

Gaultheria shallon is a leathery-leaved shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae), related to Manzanitas and Madrone. It is native to western North America as far north as Alaska. In California it is found primarily along the coast from Pt. Conception northwards.