Salal

3.5″ pot – 6.00 each (taxes included). 1 gallon pot – $14.00 each (taxes included).

Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is one of the most common understorey shrubs on B.C.’s west coast. It grows in both sunny and shady areas and seems to tolerate both dry and wet environments. It is an evergreen with shiny, thick, leathery leaves; and spreads by underground rhizomes and layering, and can create thick, dense thickets. It has small, pink urn shape flowers, similar to a blueberry flower, and produces a dark purple berry that is edible. First Nations people ate them fresh and dried. It belongs to the Ericaceae or heather family, which are flowering plants that are found in acidic and nutrient poor soils. These are the same soils that our coniferous forests thrive in, which they also help to maintain because of the tannins in there needles are also acidic.

The Pacific Northwest has many plants from the Ericaceae family, which include the huckleberry, blueberry, cranberry, Rhododendron, and Azalea. The forest trees and plants of the Pacific Northwest have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi through their roots that help the plants absorb nutrients and water from the soil, and in turn, the fungi receives sugars from the plants.