Salal

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Salal (Gaultheria shallon, Ericaceae) is a leathery-leaved shrub native to western North America. Its dark blue berries are edible, with a unique though bland flavor, and were a significant food resource for the native people.

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Locally salal berries are made into jams and jellies, often combined with oregon grape because the tartness of the latter makes up for the mild salal flavor.

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Salal is very tolerant of both open sun and shady conditions. In coastal areas it can form deep, nearly impenetrable thickets.

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North America: North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 9,355,000 square miles (24,230,000 square kilometers). In 2...