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32-564: Gaultheria shallon is an evergreen shrub in the heather family ( Ericaceae ), native to western North America. In English, it is known as salal , shallon , or (mainly in Britain) gaultheria . Gaultheria shallon is 0.4 to 3.05 metres ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 10 feet) tall, sprawling to erect. It is loosely to densely branched and often forms dense, nearly impenetrable thickets. The twigs are reddish-brown, with shredding bark. Twigs can live up to 16 years or more, but bear leaves only

64-497: A cold or dry/wet season. Evergreen trees also lose leaves, but each tree loses its leaves gradually and not all at once. Most tropical rainforest plants are considered to be evergreens, replacing their leaves gradually throughout the year as the leaves age and fall, whereas species growing in seasonally arid climates may be either evergreen or deciduous. Most warm temperate climate plants are also evergreen. In cool temperate climates, fewer plants are evergreen. In such climates, there

96-530: A fleshy outer calyx, and each fruit contains an average of 126 brown, reticulate seeds approximately 0.1 mm in length. These berries are also edible. Lewis and Clark reported the local Chinook Jargon name of the omnipresent evergreen shrub to be shallon , shelwel , or shellwell , but when Scottish naturalist David Douglas arrived at Fort George in April 1825 he noted that it was not called shallon but rather salal or sallal . The genus Gaultheria

128-593: A gradual taper and curved slightly toward the distal end of the frond. Individual fronds live for 1.5 to 2.5 years and remain attached to the rhizome after withering. When they emerge in spring, the fronds are doubled back on themselves and circinate (rolled up) only at the tip. The round sori occupy two rows on either side of the midrib of each pinna and are covered by a centrally-attached, umbrella-like indusium with fringed edges. They produce light yellow spores. In deep shade, fronds spread nearly horizontally but with increasing sun exposure grow more upright. In young plants

160-731: A higher soil acidity and lower soil nitrogen content. This is the case with Mediterranean evergreen seedlings, which have unique C and N storages that allow stored resources to determine fast growth within the species, limiting competition and bolstering survival. These conditions favor the growth of more evergreens and make it more difficult for deciduous plants to persist. In addition, the shelter provided by existing evergreen plants can make it easier for younger evergreen plants to survive cold and/or drought. Evergreen plants can have decorative as well as functional uses. In months where most other plants are dormant, evergreens with their sturdy structure, and vibrant foliage are popular choices to beautify

192-404: A landscape. Additionally, evergreens can serve as a windbreak , stopping heat loss from buildings during cold months when placed on the northwest side of a structure. Polystichum munitum Polystichum munitum , the western swordfern , is an evergreen perennial fern native to western North America , where it is one of the most abundant ferns in forested areas. It occurs along

224-420: A larger volume of parenchyma and air spaces per unit leaf area. They have larger leaf biomass per unit leaf area, and hence a lower specific leaf area . Construction costs do not differ between the groups. Evergreens have generally a larger fraction of total plant biomass present as leaves (LMF), but they often have a lower rate of photosynthesis. Deciduous trees shed their leaves usually as an adaptation to

256-642: A problem weed on unmanaged heathland, it is readily browsed by cattle (especially in winter), so where traditional grazing management has been restored, the dense stands become broken up and the plant becomes a more scattered component of the heathland vegetation. As an invasive species , salal is resistant to many herbicides because of its waxy foliage, although Garlon and Silvex can be effective when properly applied. Attempts at mechanical removal may break up rhizomes and stimulate new growth, thus increasing salal cover. The dark blue berries and young leaves are edible and efficient appetite suppressants , both with

288-556: A tea or tincture are thought to decrease internal inflammation (such as bladder inflammation), stomach or duodenal ulcers, heartburn , indigestion, sinus inflammation, diarrhea, moderate fever, inflamed/irritated throat, and menstrual cramps. A poultice of the leaf can be used externally to ease discomfort from insect bites and stings. Evergreen There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, including trees , shrubs , and vines. Evergreens include: The Latin binomial term sempervirens , meaning "always green", refers to

320-415: A tight clump spreading out radially from a round base. They are single- pinnate , with the pinnae alternating on the stalk. Each pinna is 1 to 15 centimetres (0.39 to 5.91 in) long, with a small upward-pointing lobe (a sword hilt, hence the name) at the base, and the edges are serrated with bristly tips on the serrations. Beyond the upward-pointing lobe, the pinnae are broadly linear in shape, usually with

352-516: A unique flavor. The berries were a significant food resource for some Native American tribes, who ate them fresh and dried them into cakes. They were also used as a sweetener , and the Haida used them to thicken salmon eggs. The leaves of the plant were also sometimes used to flavor fish soup. More recently, the berries are used locally in jams, preserves, and pies. They are often combined with Oregon-grape because salal's mild sweetness partially masks

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384-634: Is a favored horticultural subject in western North America , it has proved difficult or impossible to cultivate satisfactorily in the eastern part of the continent. In the United Kingdom Polystichum munitum has gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit . According to a molecular phylogeny of Polystichum ferns based on plastid DNA sequences, P. munitum is most closely related to other North American Polystichum species, including

416-438: Is a predominance of conifers because few evergreen broadleaf plants can tolerate severe cold below about −26 °C (−15 °F). In addition, evergreen foliage experiences significant leaf damage in these cold, dry climates. Root systems are the most vulnerable aspect of many plants. Even though roots are insulated by soil, which tends to be warmer than average air temperatures, soil temperatures that drop too low can kill

448-777: Is heaviest when other low-growing species become covered in snow; in Western Washington salal leaves composed 30.4% of deer diet by volume in January, compared to only 0.5% in June. The leaves have relatively low nutritional value, and deer which feed exclusively on them have shown signs of malnutrition , cementing their status as a winter and emergency food for ungulates . Beavers and the white-footed vole are known to feed on salal leaves, as are domestic goats and sheep in some areas. The band-tailed pigeon , wrentit , various species of grouse , and numerous songbirds consume

480-622: The California coast. It grows as far north as Baranof Island , Alaska . Western poison oak is a common associate in the California Coast Ranges . The species was introduced to Britain in 1828 by David Douglas, who intended the plant to be used as an ornamental . It is believed to have been planted as cover for pheasants on shooting estates. G. shallon grows in moist to dry, montane to lowland coastal conifer forests as well as forested peatland and swamps throughout

512-422: The western swordfern or vine maple , although it still competes with conifer seedlings for water, nutrients, and space. There are mixed reports on its impact on Douglas-fir regrowth; on some sites it may hinder it, but on others it may add nutrients to the soil and actually increase conifer regeneration. The leaves are browsed by deer and elk , and it is an important winter food for those species. Browsing

544-470: The Pacific Northwest down to Southern California. It is a common coniferous forest understory species where shade is not heavy and may dominate large areas with its spreading rhizomes . Individual plants may live for hundreds of years, spreading from their rhizomes. The plant is sensitive to frost. It is tolerant of salt spray and grows well on stabilized dunes , exposed slopes, and bluffs near

576-723: The Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to southern California , and also inland east to southeastern British Columbia , northern Idaho and western Montana , with disjunctive populations in northern British Columbia , Canada ; the Black Hills in South Dakota , United States ; and Guadalupe Island off of Baja California , Mexico . Western swordfern is known to have locally naturalized in parts of Great Britain and Ireland . The dark green fronds of this fern grow 50 to 180 centimetres (1.6 to 5.9 ft) tall, in

608-476: The area in which they reside. The excellent water economy within the evergreen species is due to high abundance when compared to deciduous species. Whereas deciduous trees lose nutrients whenever they lose their leaves. In warmer areas, species such as some pines and cypresses grow on poor soils and disturbed ground. In Rhododendron , a genus with many broadleaf evergreens, several species grow in mature forests but are usually found on highly acidic soil where

640-429: The ends of branches. Each flower is composed of a deeply five-parted, glandular-haired calyx and an urn-shaped pink to white, glandular to hairy, five-lobed petals (corolla), 7 to 10 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 4 to 3 ⁄ 8  in) long. The fruit is reddish to blue, rough-surfaced, covered in tiny hairs, nearly spherical and 6 to 10 mm in diameter. The fruits are 'pseudoberries', or capsules made up of

672-552: The evergreen nature of the plant, for instance: The longevity of individual leaves in evergreen plants varies from a few months to several decades (over 30 years in the Great Basin bristlecone pine ). Japanese umbrella pine is unique in that it has its own family of which it is the only species. Evergreen and deciduous species vary in a range of morphological and physiological characters. Generally, broad-leaved evergreen species have thicker leaves than deciduous species, with

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704-438: The first few years. The leaves are alternate, evergreen , leathery, thick and egg shaped. They are shiny and dark green on the upper surface, and rough and lighter green on the lower. Each finely and sharply serrate leaf is 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) long. Each leaf generally lives for 2 to 4 years before it is replaced. The inflorescence of flowers consists of a bracteate raceme , one-sided, with 5–15 flowers at

736-651: The former's tartness. Salal is widely cultivated as an ornamental both within and outside of its native range, useful for ground cover and landscaping. In the Pacific Northwest, the harvesting of G. shallon is the heart of a large industry which supplies cut evergreens worldwide for use in floral arrangements . It is used in native plant gardens and sold as "Lemon Leaf". The species has been used for its medicinal properties by local natives for generations, although its medicinal uses are not widely known. The leaves have an astringent effect, making it an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-cramping herb. Leaves prepared in

768-531: The fruit, as do mammals such as the red squirrel , black bear , black-tailed deer, Townsend's chipmunk , and the Douglas squirrel . Salal flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, bees, and flies, and are browsed by deer. It provides important cover and hiding places for a variety of species, from large ungulates to small birds and mammals. Salal is adapted to a fire regime of infrequent fires, from intervals of 50 to 500+ years. Although aboveground portions of

800-461: The leaves are often paler green and have shorter pinnae. The preferred habitat of this fern is the understory of moist coniferous woodlands at low elevations. It grows best in well-drained acidic soil of rich humus and small stones. It is very resilient and survives occasional droughts, but flourishes only with consistent moisture and it prefers cool weather. In cultivation, it also responds well to regular, light fertilization. While this fern

832-423: The nutrients are less available to plants. In taiga or boreal forests , it is too cold for the organic matter in the soil to decay rapidly, so the nutrients in the soil are less easily available to plants, thus favoring evergreens. In temperate climates, evergreens can reinforce their own survival; evergreen leaf and needle litter has a higher carbon-nitrogen ratio than deciduous leaf litter , contributing to

864-422: The ocean, as well as in coastal brushfields and coastal shore pine and Sitka spruce forests. Salal tolerates moderate shade and does well in sun. It grows in a variety of soils but prefers moist sandy or peaty soils, and commonly establishes on decaying wood and stumps or as an epiphyte in extremely humid areas. Conifer regeneration is typically better on sites dominated by salal than on sites dominated by

896-405: The plant may be consumed, rhizomes in the soil will survive and resprout after light to moderate fires. Severe fires on dry, shallow soil will penetrate into the roots and kill the plant. It readily colonizes heathland and acidic woodland habitats in southern England, often forming very tall and dense evergreen stands which smother other vegetation. Although heathland managers widely regard it as

928-448: The plant. The exact temperature which evergreen roots can handle depends on the species, for example, Picea Glauca (White Spruce) roots are killed at −10 °F (−23 °C). In areas where there is a reason for being deciduous, e.g. a cold season or dry season, evergreen plants are usually an adaptation of low nutrient levels. Additionally, they usually have hard leaves and have an excellent water economy due to scarce resources in

960-497: The sword fern "takes the pain away!". This traditional use has spread among the hiking communities and youth scouting organizations of the region, where it is a common piece of hiker's lore that a rash from a stinging nettle can be counteracted by rubbing the spores on the underside of sword fern on the area. In spring, when other food is unavailable, Quileute , Makah , Klallam , Squamish , Sechelt , Haida , and other Native American / First Nations peoples roasted, peeled, and ate

992-460: The western species Polystichum lemmonii , Polystichum scopulinum , and Polystichum dudleyi , and the eastern species Polystichum acrostichoides . The Coast Salish people of B.C. and Washington state use this plant as a pain reliever. When applied directly to the area where pain and inflammation occur, according to Della Rice Sylvester, an elder and medicine woman of the Cowichan tribe,

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1024-739: Was named by Pehr Kalm for his guide in Canada, fellow botanist Jean François Gaultier . In the Squamish language , the fruits are called t’áḵa7 and the bush is called t’áḵa7áy̓ . In the Saanich dialect , salal berries are called DAḴE In the Lushootseed language, the month of August is named pədt̕aqaʔ, literally 'time of the salal.' Salal is found in Southeast Alaska , British Columbia , Washington and Oregon and along much of

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