salal

plant

Also known as: Gaultheria shallon, lemon leaf, lemonleaf

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Salal is a small evergreen shrub (Gaultheria shallon) native to the Pacific coast of North America. It belongs to the heath family, Ericaceae. This plant is characterized by its attractive foliage and produces edible, grape-sized, dark purple berries. The scientific name Gaultheria encompasses about 135 species of shrubs found across various continents, some of which are cultivated for their ornamental value and edible fruits. Salal, also known as lemonleaf in the floral industry, typically grows between 1 to 6 feet tall.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Gaultheria
Major species
Salal (G. shallon), or lemonleaf in the floral industry, is a diffuse slender shrub of the Pacific Northwest; it grows 0.3–1.8 metres (1–6 feet) tall and has dark purple edible fruits.
Read More
Salal (G. shallon), or lemonleaf in the floral industry, is a diffuse slender shrub of the Pacific Northwest; it grows 0.3–1.8 metres (1–6 feet) tall and has dark purple edible fruits.
Read More