Salal

Gaultheria shallon

Illustration: Salal (Gaultheria shallon) glossy leaves and blue-black berries

Identification: Evergreen shrub with leathery glossy oval leaves; pink urn-shaped flowers; dusty blue-black berries in late summer. The backbone shrub of coastal forests.

Dangerous look-alikes: No toxic look-alike with the same glossy evergreen leaves + urn flowers + blue-black berries.

Edible parts: Ripe berries.

Season and habitat: Late summer. Coastal forests, shady woods.

Preparation: Eat fresh (earthy-sweet), or cook into jam, pies, and pemmican. A staple berry of coastal tribes; the florist's 'lemon leaf' is this plant.