Nitraria billardierei
nitre bush
Southern Australia (saline and coastal habitats)
Overview
Nitraria billardierei is a sprawling, much-branched shrub growing 1.5-6.5 feet (0.5-2 m) tall and spreading 3-10 feet (1-3 m) wide, often mounding over sand and forming low thickets. The branches are pale grey and become spiny as they age. The leaves are grey-green, fleshy, and narrow to spoon-shaped, 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long, clustered along the stems and somewhat succulent. Small cream to white flowers about 0.2 inch (5 mm) across open singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is a fleshy, rounded drupe 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) wide that ripens from green to red and deep purple and has a salty, slightly sweet taste. Flowering occurs in spring and summer, with fruit ripening over the warmer months. The shrub grows on saline flats, coastal dunes, and the margins of salt lakes across southern Australia. It tolerates salt spray, saline soils, drought, and shifting sand, and its spreading roots bind loose ground. Dense thickets can build up over time and exclude lower-growing plants.
Native Range
Native to southern Australia, across coastal and inland saline habitats in all mainland states. It grows on salt flats, dunes, and the margins of salt lakes and claypans.Suggested Uses
Grown for coastal and saline-site stabilization, dune binding, and low windbreaks in dry, salt-affected gardens. The fleshy fruit is edible and was eaten by Aboriginal peoples. It functions as shelter and food for birds in exposed coastal plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1'6" - 6'6"
Width/Spread3' - 10'
Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in spring and summer, from September to February in the native range. Small cream to white flowers about 0.2 inch (5 mm) across open in the leaf axils. Fleshy fruit follows and ripens through the warmer months from green to red and purple.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Cream to whiteFoliage Description
Grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Nitraria billardierei in full sun in sandy, saline, or alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5-9.0. It tolerates salt spray, salty groundwater, drought, and shifting sand, conditions that suit coastal and dryland sites. Heavy, wet, and acidic soils do not suit it and slow its growth. Once established it needs no supplemental water in most climates. The spreading habit and spiny branches build dense thickets, so it is given room away from paths and smaller plants.Pruning
Prune to limit the spread of the sprawling branches and to remove dead or damaged wood. Cutting back hard rejuvenates old, woody thickets. The spiny stems make heavy pruning slow, so it is done in stages.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter