Gaultheria shallon
Salal
(c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Gaultheria shallon (Salal) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by large size, clustered flowers, and dark berries.
Salal is a California native shrub found in the northern coastal, Klamath, and central coastal regions in moist forest margins at elevations below 1,060 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to pink urn-shaped flowers arranged in axillary racemes. Growing in clumped formations with erect stems 2 to 2 meters tall, it forms dense thickets with glandular-hairy stems. Its leaves are 3 to 13 centimeters long, with a minutely serrate edge and short-acuminate tips that range from obtuse to heart-shaped. The fruit develops as a dark purple to nearly blue-black berry, adding visual interest to the forest understory.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are large size, clustered flowers, and dark berries
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist forest margins
Elevation: < 1060 m
California counties: Humboldt, Monterey, Mendocino, Del Norte, Marin, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sonoma, San Francisco, Nevada, Butte, Alameda, Tulare
Outside California: to Alaska
Bloom period
Gaultheria shallon blooms Apr-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Vaccinium: Gaultheria (salal) has thick, sharply pointed, minutely toothed leaves and a fleshy purple-black fruit that is really a swollen calyx over a capsule; Vaccinium (huckleberry/blueberry) has thinner leaves and a true berry crowned by the calyx.; vs Arctostaphylos: Gaultheria has finely serrate leaves and glandular-hairy flower stalks; manzanita has entire leaves, smooth red bark, and dry mealy fruits.; vs Comarostaphylis: Gaultheria leaves are minutely serrate and green beneath; Comarostaphylis (summer holly) has revolute, sharply toothed leaves that are white-woolly beneath, and warty red fruits.; vs Leucothoe: Gaultheria fruit is fleshy and berry-like; Leucothoe has similar leathery leaves but produces a dry capsule.; vs Menziesia: Gaultheria is evergreen with leathery toothed leaves and fleshy fruit; Menziesia is deciduous with thin, hairy leaves and a dry capsule.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaultheria shallon native to California?
Yes. Gaultheria shallon is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Gaultheria shallon bloom?
Gaultheria shallon blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Gaultheria shallon grow?
Gaultheria shallon occurs in Humboldt, Monterey, Mendocino, Del Norte, Marin, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo and other counties, at elevations of < 1060 m.
What plant family does Gaultheria shallon belong to?
Gaultheria shallon is in the Ericaceae family, genus Gaultheria.
What habitat does Gaultheria shallon grow in?
Gaultheria shallon grows in Moist forest margins.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.