Salal

Gautheria shallon

General:  Creeping to erect; spreads by layering, suckering and sprouting; height very variable (.2-5 m tall), with hairy, branched stems.

Leaves: Alternate, evergreen, leathery, thick, shiny egg-shaped, 5-10 cm long, sharply and finely toothed.

Flowers: White or pinkish, urn-shaped 7-10 mm long; 5-15 at branch ends, flower stalks bend so that flowers are all oriented in one direction.

Fruits: Reddish-blue to dark-purple 'berries' (actually fleshy sepals) 6-10 mm broad, edible.

Ecology: Coniferous forests, rocky bluffs, to the seashore; low to medium elevations.

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