Salal is an evergreen shrub in the heather family that is native to western North America and will develop thickets that make a good bird habitat. It is found as an understory shrub in the coastal NW at lower elevations. The form is erect to prostrate and stems root if growing on the ground. The leathery, glossy green oval leaves are evergreen and are used by florists in flower arrangements. The clusters of drooping urn-shaped white-to-pinkish flowers appear in spring to early summer and are followed by purple berries that are eaten by birds. This shrub grows in partial to full shade in moist acidic soils but is adaptable to other sites. It may not be a good choice for the east due to our very different growing conditions. Use as a ground cover in shady to partly shady naturalized woodland sites. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Prostrate
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Rhomboidal
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery; Rough
Leaf value
Good Cut
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2-4” long x 1-3” wide thick shiny deep green leaves with bristly serrate margins. They are oval to round in shape. Undersides rough and lighter in color.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Urn
Flower detail
One-side raceme of drooping urn-shaped white-to-pinkish flowers in spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruits are small, hairy, rough-surfaced blue-black round berries. Birds love them.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Grayish-brown mature bark
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Young shoots are red. Mature bark and twigs are grayish-brown and smooth.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Alaska to western U.S.A.
Wildlife value
Larval host for brown elfin butterfly. Birds and mammals eat the berries, deer browse the leaves.