Salal
Gaultheria shallon
Salal is a leathery-leaved shrub that forms dense thickets 1-10 feet tall. The ruddy brown branches are either erect or spreading, with intricate branching twigs covered in dark green leaves. The shiny, evergreen leaves gently taper from a wide round base to a point. The finely serrated leaves are 5-10 cm long. Salal’s flowers are bell-shaped, much like the manzanita, and hang down from hairy, reddish stems that attach to the woodier twigs. The flowers, which grow in dropping clusters, are pale pink. The blueberry-like fruits are rounded and dark blue with a slightly sticky texture. The bottom of the berry is indented with a thin 5-pointed star.
Basic Information
Member of the heather family (Ericaceae), related to Manzanitas and Madrone
Shrub or subshrub
Habitat
Native to western Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and most of the California coast
Commonly found in the shady understory of coniferous forests and coastal areas
Ecological Role
The leaves of this plant are important winter food for deer and elk
The leaves are relatively low in nutritional value, and fed on exclusively by deer showing malnutrition, revealing that they are an emergency food source
Beavers and the white-footed also feed on salal leaves
The fruit is consumed by a wide variety of wildlife including:
Band-tailed pigeons, wrentits, various species of grouse, songbirds, red squirrels, black bears, black-tailed deer, Townsend's chipmunks, and the Douglas squirrels
The flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, bees, and flies
Larval host for the brown elfin butterfly
The bushy shrub provides important cover and hiding places for a variety of species
Salal is adapted to survive infrequent fires (aka occurring every 50 to 500+ years), with the underground rhizomes regrowing the aboveground plant
Reproduction
Blooms from April to July
Alternative Names
Shallon, gaultheria
Historical Uses
Salal berries are a staple food of the North West coastal First Nations
The berries were eaten fresh, cooked, and dried
They make excellent jelly!
Berries used to create a dark dye for basketry
The Bella Coola used a poultice of the toasted, pulverized leaves for cuts
The Kwakiutl and other tribes used the leafy branches in steam cooking pits to help circulate steam (to prevent burning food) and add flavor
Additional Information
The Chinook tribe gave salal its name
