Gaultheria shallon

Thicket-like dwarf or small shrub with many runners; 0.2-0.6 (1.2) m tall, 0.8-1.0 m wide; settling over large areas under favourable conditions.

Whitish pink bells, mid-May to beginning of July.

Initially dull red, later black, pea-size berries, ripe from August on, sweetish-mealy, not poisonous.

Evergreen, leathery; ovoid, shiny dark to blackish green.

Light shade or semi-shade, especially luxurious in cool, humid areas; sensitive to frost, regenerates quickly with runners.

Fresh to damp, acidic-humid or acidic-sandy soil.

If not frozen back recently, the crops should be occasionally cut back to the ground to create a dense carpet and to increase vitality.

Zone 6b