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

---

Family Scientific Name:	Ericaceae
Family Common Name:	Heath
Scientific Name:	Gaultheria shallon
Common Name:	salal
Species Code:	GASH
Ecotype:	Mt Hood and Siuslaw 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:	Vegetative
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	262 ml (16 in3) container
Time To Grow:	10 to 16 months
Target Specifications:	Stock Type: Container steckling Root System: Firm plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Collect in mid winter or late spring/early summer. Collect newest woody material when plants are dormant, or collect fresh green cuttings when new growth has just begun to suberize.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Dormant cuttings: The base of the stem is cut at a 45° angle and immediately dipped in 1000 ppm IBA. The cutting is then inserted into a pre-dibbled hole in well-drained rooting medium. Green cuttings: The base of the stem is cut at a 45° angle and immediately dipped in 500 ppm IBA. The cutting is then inserted into a pre-dibbled hole in well-drained rooting medium. Rooting medium used is 30:20:30:20 peat:composted fir bark:perlite:pumice with no fertilizer added.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Rooting chamber. Stecklings are placed in a climate-controlled rooting chamber, maintained at 100% RH with mist; bench temperature maintained at 21 °C; air temperature maintained at 18 °C. When rooting has occurred, cells are moved to the greenhouse to continue culturing. Greenhouse growing facility. Cells are fertilized 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:	Rooting is very slow, and can take up to 4 months before cells are ready to be moved to a greenhouse facility. Following rooting, plants are fertilized with soluble 12-2-14-6Ca-3Mg at 75 to 100 ppm for 4 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3 to 4 months
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are slow-growing, sometimes requiring 2 full growing seasons depending on when cuttings were collected. 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.