salal Ericaceae Gaultheria shallon

Leaf:Simple, alternate, persistent, ovate to oval, 2 to 4 inches long, leathery texture, dark glossy green above and paler below, margins finely serrate, veins arcuate.
Flower:Perfect, small (1/4 inch), urn-shaped, pink to white, and borne in elongated clusters, appearing in early summer.
Fruit:Small (1/4 inch), round, bluish-black berries, edible.
Twig:New twigs green to red and covered with short hairs, older twigs grayish brown and smooth. Twigs change angles between each node, giving a distinctive zig-zag appearance.
Bark:Seldom seen because of thicket-forming nature of salal. reddish brown to grayish brown and longitudinally scaly.
Form:An evergreen shrub that varies in height depending on light. In full sun, it forms dense, low thickets 1 to 3 feet high. In shadier environments it is much more spindly, reaching 10 feet. Sprouts profusely from rhizomes.

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