Atriplex lentiformis
big saltbush
Overview
Atriplex lentiformis is a large, fast-growing shrub in the amaranth family, native to alkaline flats, desert washes, and coastal scrub of the western United States and northwestern Mexico. It forms a dense, rounded to spreading mound 3-10 feet (0.9-3 m) tall and up to 12 feet (3.6 m) wide, with stiff, sometimes spine-tipped branches. The leaves are gray-green to silvery, triangular to oval, 0.5-2 inches (1.5-5 cm) long, and coated in tiny salt-excreting scales that give them a mealy surface. The plant is dioecious, with small, greenish, petalless flowers borne in branched spikes in summer; pollen is carried on the wind. Female plants produce masses of small, papery, fan-shaped fruits. It is highly tolerant of salt, drought, and poor soils, and is planted to reclaim saline and disturbed land. The dense, twiggy canopy gives cover and seed for quail and other birds, the source of the name quailbush. Its large size and wind-borne pollen, which can aggravate allergies, limit its place in small gardens.
Native Range
Native to the western United States and northwestern Mexico, from California, Nevada, and Utah south to Arizona and Baja California, on alkaline flats, playa margins, desert washes, and coastal scrub.Suggested Uses
Used as a windbreak, screen, and cover plant in desert and coastal gardens and for reclaiming saline or disturbed land. The dense canopy and seed support quail and other birds, and it serves as a larval host for some butterflies. Its salt tolerance suits roadside and reclamation plantings where few other shrubs survive.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 10'
Width/Spread6' - 12'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in summer, from June to September, as small greenish, petalless flowers in branched spikes. The plant is wind-pollinated and produces no nectar. Female plants then bear heavy crops of papery, winged fruits that persist into fall and winter.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
greenish, inconspicuousFoliage Description
gray-green to silveryGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 8-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight