Indigenous Beginnings
Long before it became part of the global floral trade, salal (Gaultheria shallon) was used by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Its berries were a source of food, its leaves used for medicine, and its branches for craft and cooking. This deep knowledge and respect for salal laid the foundation for its recognition as a valuable resource.
Early Commercial Harvests (1900s–1960s)
In the early 20th century, European-American settlers in Western Washington and Oregon began cutting salal as a way to earn extra income. Families would gather salal and sell it to local buyers, who in turn supplied florists. What started as a small, local side business soon grew into a steady trade, especially as demand for evergreen foliage grew in Europe.
An Immigrant Workforce Shapes the Industry
1970s–1980s: Southeast Asian Refugees
Following the Vietnam War, refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Facing barriers to traditional employment, many turned to the forest for work. Brush picking, including salal, provided flexible income and required no formal English skills. Their hard work kept the industry alive during this period of transition.
Image from the National Museum of the United States Air force
1990s–Present: Latin American Communities
By the 1990s, the floral industry expanded globally and so did demand for salal. Migrant and immigrant workers—primarily from Mexico and Guatemala—became the backbone of the trade. Crews often organized through family ties, with knowledge passed down from one generation to the next. Today, the majority of commercial salal harvesters are Hispanic and Latino, cutting bunches in the dense forests of Western Washington, Western Oregon, and the Olympic Peninsula.
Picture by: Betsaid Garcia
Today’s Reality
Salal harvesting is, at its core, an immigrant-driven industry. What began as a side job for settlers has transformed into a trade sustained by immigrant hands for decades. From Southeast Asian refugees to Latin American migrants, immigrant communities have carried this industry forward, turning salal into a global export while creating livelihoods for thousands of families
Picture by: Betsaid Garcia
✅ Summary:
Salal harvesting tells a story of migration, resilience, and opportunity. It is an industry built and sustained by immigrants, woven into the fabric of the Pacific Northwest’s economy and forests. Every bundle of salal that makes its way into floral arrangements worldwide carries with it the labor, history, and sacrifice of immigrant communities.
Picture by: Betsaid Garcia
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