Gaultheria (shallon)

Lee Riley Horticulturist USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center 34963 Shoreview Road Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424 541-915-7324 541-767-5709 (fax) lee.riley@usda.gov

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Family Scientific Name:	Ericaceae
Family Common Name:	Heath
Scientific Name:	Gaultheria shallon
Common Name:	salal
Species Code:	GASH
Ecotype:	Mt Hood, Rogue River-Siskiyou, Siuslaw, and Willamette National Forests, Oregon
General Distribution:	USA: AK , CA , OR , WA Native Distribution: Coastal areas from Santa Barbara County, CA to British Columbia Native Habitat: Coastal woods or brushy places below 760 m (2500 ft)
Propagation Goal:	Plants
Propagation Method:	Seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	262 ml (16 in3) container
Time To Grow:	22 weeks
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container seedling Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Collect in late summer or fall.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Due to small seed size, the easiest method is to sow seed into trays filled with stabilized medium plugs (Q-plugs). Trays are sealed inside plastic bags and placed into refrigeration at 1 to 3 °C for 25 days. Trays are checked weekly and kept moist throughout the stratification period. If mold is evident, trays should be treated with 1% hydrogen peroxide.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Greenhouse growing facility. Q-plugs are lightly covered with nursery grit. Seedlings are transplanted to target containers approximately 3 weeks following removal from stratification. Growing medium used is 40:20:20:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice with Nutricote controlled release fertilizer (18N:6P2O5:8K2O with minors; 180-d release rate at 21C) at the rate of 1.5 gram Nutricote per 262 ml container.
Establishment Phase:	Germination is fairly uniform and is usually complete in 2 weeks. Following germination (while still in Q-plugs), plants are fertilized with soluble 12-2-14-6Ca-3Mg at 75 to 100 ppm for 2 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are slow-growing, sometimes requiring 2 full growing seasons if cultured in a larger container. However, plants can reach target specifications if fertilized heavily throughout the growing season. Soluble fertilizer (20-9-20 NPK, 20-18-18 NPK, or 17-5-24 NPK) at 150 ppm is applied weekly throughout the growing season.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	18 to 19 weeks
Hardening Phase:	No dry-down is done to induce dormancy. Seedlings are moved to an outdoor growing area in late September.
Length of Hardening Phase:	3 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Harvest Date: Late October Storage Conditions: Seedlings are usually outplanted in fall. No storage except in outdoor growing area. Plants are well irrigated prior to shipping and shipped in containers.
Other Comments:	Wetland classification: FACU Direct summer sun causes scorch
References:	Dorena Genetic Resource Center Propagation Records, unpublished. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. nd. Gaultheria shallon Pursh. URL: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=GASH (accessed 8 Oct 2018).

Citation:

Riley, Lee E.; Klocke, Allison. 2018. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Gaultheria shallon Plants 262 ml (16 in3) container; USDA FS - Dorena Genetic Resource Center Cottage Grove, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.