The temperature range of the Olympic Rain Forest is usually 40 degrees to 70 degrees year around, however it dips to freezing or colder in the winter months; in the summer, daytime temperatures can be a pleasant 80 or 85 degrees day after day. (My own experience has been that whether it's summer or winter, you better have your rain coat handy in the Rain Forest!)
Salal is our plant of focus this week. It can grow singly or in masses, and reaches heights of 3-4 feet, sometimes as high as 7 feet. In areas that are exposed to the sunlight (like here in the backyard at our cabin), they remain short and scrubby, covering the ground or stumps. In the spring, pink, urn-shaped blossoms appear; turning to a dark purple berry that has a pleasant flavor, but is rather dry.
