Gaultheria shallon, also known as salal or shallon, is a leathery-leaved shrub in the heather family native to western North America. It grows up to 5m tall and is tolerant of both sunny and shady conditions. Salal’s dark blue berries and young leaves are both edible and are efficient appetite suppressants, both with a unique flavor. The shrub has medicinal properties used by local natives for generations, and has a large industry in the Pacific Northwest for supplying cut evergreens worldwide for use in floral arrangements. Salal is not invasive in the regions it inhabits, but it can grow in dense, impenetrable thickets. Its unique properties make it a valuable plant for landscaping and for use in the food and medicine industry.