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Ericaceae
Salal
Gaultheria shallon
Nourishment and connection to the land.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Gaultheria
- Native to
- Western North America
- Bloom season
- Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 2-5 ft
- Sunlight
- partial shade to full shade
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 6-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Its dark purple berries were one of the most important fruit foods for Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples.
- Lewis and Clark mentioned salal berries in their journals, noting that local tribes ate them in great quantities.
- The glossy, leathery leaves are widely harvested for the floral industry, appearing in bouquets and arrangements worldwide.
- Commercial salal leaf harvesting is a multi-million dollar industry in the Pacific Northwest, mostly for export to Europe.
- When introduced to Britain, it became invasive in some areas, forming dense thickets that shade out native plants.
Color meanings
0
nourishment
1
provision
2
quiet strength