The Salal
Shiny salal
The Salal
Dark green, thick emerald leaves
Adorned with white buds in the Spring
Laden with deep, dark blue berries
Richly dressed no matter the season
One of the most striking characteristics of the Northwest understory carpet is the salal. The dark green leaves shine among the paler green ferns. Their gloss and beauty make them prized by floral artists for their arrangements. They are also sought after in Northwest landscapes. Even if cut, they are long lasting. They can grow up tall, but usually appear as low- growing, dense undergrowth. They can do with very little sunlight and as such live well in the canopy provided by the towering trees of the Northwest. Their leaves have a pleasant shape, curved and tapered. Definite in its simple form, it knows its strengths and repeats its strong lines often to stamp its character in the woods.
Salal blooms in the spring with bell- like flowers that dangle amidst the shining leaves. The flowers themselves are delicate, fading from cream to pink, sometimes with a touch of lavender. Small pink tongues drip out. Bees hum busily among them. By autumn, the bells have become berries of deep purple. Native Americans would pick the berries to flavor their pemmican. They have a dried blueberry flavor. Its roots send out runners and they hold deep to the soil. Trying to remove them is a monumental task. They provide a tremendous anchor and helpful sponge to the soils among the often shallow rooted trees that shade them.
“My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt
away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.”
― George R.R. Martin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaultheria_shallon
plants.usda.gov › ... › NRCS State GSAT Lists › NRCS State Plants Lists
Dark green, thick emerald leaves
Adorned with white buds in the Spring
Laden with deep, dark blue berries
Richly dressed no matter the season
One of the most striking characteristics of the Northwest understory carpet is the salal. The dark green leaves shine among the paler green ferns. Their gloss and beauty make them prized by floral artists for their arrangements. They are also sought after in Northwest landscapes. Even if cut, they are long lasting. They can grow up tall, but usually appear as low- growing, dense undergrowth. They can do with very little sunlight and as such live well in the canopy provided by the towering trees of the Northwest. Their leaves have a pleasant shape, curved and tapered. Definite in its simple form, it knows its strengths and repeats its strong lines often to stamp its character in the woods.
Salal blooms in the spring with bell- like flowers that dangle amidst the shining leaves. The flowers themselves are delicate, fading from cream to pink, sometimes with a touch of lavender. Small pink tongues drip out. Bees hum busily among them. By autumn, the bells have become berries of deep purple. Native Americans would pick the berries to flavor their pemmican. They have a dried blueberry flavor. Its roots send out runners and they hold deep to the soil. Trying to remove them is a monumental task. They provide a tremendous anchor and helpful sponge to the soils among the often shallow rooted trees that shade them.
“My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt
away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.”
― George R.R. Martin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaultheria_shallon
plants.usda.gov › ... › NRCS State GSAT Lists › NRCS State Plants Lists