Salal

"Salal is a unique book about a commonplace plant. Part travel narrative, part literary memoir, part 'ethnography' of a plant that usually goes unnoticed, Laurie Ricou traces the poetry and culture of salal while letting readers in on its secrets. Salal's high-gloss leaves and delicate salmon-white flowers are compelling and, as a staple of the floral greens industry, its impact is global. Through interviews, commentary, and well-documented research, Ricou tells the stories of salal - how it is used, what it means to writers and artists, how it is gathered, and what the vagaries of the salal industry are all about."--Back cover.