Salal

Planting

Plant salal in part shade where it will thrive in both sunny and shady conditions, though partial shade is ideal for Bay Area gardens. Prepare soil that drains well - fast to medium drainage - and amend with organic material to create the sandy, rich soil this plant prefers. Space plants according to your desired mature height, since salal ranges from a ground cover to a 7-foot shrub depending on conditions. Plant in fall or early spring so the plant can establish before summer.

After Planting

Water weekly for the first summer, then taper to once or twice monthly during summer once established. Salal is evergreen and tolerant of cold down to 10°F, so it requires minimal winter care in the Bay Area. Prune after flowering ends in late spring if you want to shape it as a hedge or control its size; otherwise, this low-maintenance native needs little pruning. The biggest mistake is overwatering - salal evolved in coastal forests and forest understory, not wet conditions, so let the soil dry between waterings once it's past the first year.

Insects

criBrown elfin

Larval Host · Year-Round

Larval hostplant; early spring emergence and oviposition Apr-May

criSalal Leafminer Moth

Larval Host · Year-Round

Specialist leafminer; multiple generations per year; year-round larval development

Birds

higBand-tailed Pigeon

Fruit · Year-Round

Important mast resource during fall migration and winter months

higHermit Thrush

Fruit · Year-Round

Critical fall migration staging fuel; winter resident foraging Sep-Mar in coastal CA

modSharp-tailed Grouse

Fruit · Year-Round

Seasonal mast resource in northern CA conifer-hardwood transition zones

Amphibians

modPacific Tree Frog

Shelter · Year-Round

Dense evergreen cover provides refuge and overwintering shelter in coastal habitats

Mammals

modElk

Foliage · Year-Round

Evergreen understory browse; important winter forage in coastal redwood-tanoak communities

modPacific Marten

Fruit · Year-Round

Seasonal fruit cache and direct consumption; important mast mast year foraging