SALAL

Gaultheria shallon

Salal is possibly the most common forest understory shrub in the Pacific Northwest region.

Salal is an evergreen shrub that varies in height and thickness based upon light.

When exposed to full sunlight, it forms dense low thickets, averaging 1 to 3 feet in height. In shadier environments, it become spindly and can reach heights of 10 to 12 feet.

Salal can be found in a variety of habitats from conifer forests to clear-cut areas, to the wind blown seashore.

Descriptions:

Bark - Reddish brown to grayish brown in color, the bark is seldom seen due to Salals thicket forming nature. New twigs are green to red in

color and are covered with short hairs. Older twigs are grayish brown and smooth. Because the twigs change angles between nodes they form a

distinct zigzag pattern.

Leaves - The leaves are simple in structure, 2 to 4 inches in length, with a leathery texture. They are a dark glossy green on the upper side and a

pale green underneath. They alternate on the stem and are oval in shape.

Flowers and Berries - Flowers are small and urn shaped, pink to white in color and grow in elongated clusters. They appear on the shrub in June and July bearing a small round editable berry in late summer and early fall. The berries are a dark red to dark purple in color and are an important fruit for many natives culture as well as wild animals.

Salal has been used in a variety of ways by many native tribes. Everything from eating them fresh off the plant to boiling them down into a

syrup. The leaves have been chewed as a hunger suppressant and also chewed up and spit into wounds to prevent infection. It has been said

that the Swinomish and Samish Indians used the leaves in a tea form for coughs and tuberculosis.

Identified by Gwi Musch