E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeYou don’t have to go far to find salal.
Look in your next flower arrangement for its darkgreen leathery leaves or along just about any trail in Whatcom County. Gardeners also love the shrub, which can grow to up to 4 feet tall, because it is deerresistant ground coverage that can withstand a wide range of conditions.
This evergreen native can grow in sunny or shady areas. It can grow in moist or dry soils.
-
SALAL FACTS
Scientific name: Gaultheria shallon
Where found: Wooded areas in soil moist or dry.
Places to look: Teddy Bear Cove, Maritime Heritage Park
This time of the year, you’ll know salal by its ovalshaped leaves, which have tiny ridges, “or teeth,” around their edges. In spring, look for small, hairy, pinkish-white flowers shaped like delicate urns; you’ll find them hanging like so many little lanterns.
In summer, look for juicy berries that are dark purple. They’re a favorite of wildlife. The coastal native peoples used to eat these sweet berries as well.
Salal grows in Alaska and British Columbia down to Southern California.
Sources: Vikki Jackson; “Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast,” by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon; e Nature. com; King County Natural Resources and Parks
-
Contracts Assistant, Financial Services
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY -
Fiscal Analyst 1
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY -
Open Positions
SKAGIT VALLEY HOSPITAL -
LPNs and MAs
Interfaith Community Health Center -
Purchasing Agent
McNett Corp.
@Nyx.CommentBody@