Salsola australis
southern Russian thistle
Overview
Salsola australis is an annual herb forming a rounded, much-branched bush 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall and wide, sometimes larger on open ground. Seedlings produce soft, almost succulent cylindrical leaves 0.4-2 inches (1-5 cm) long; as the plant matures these are replaced by short, stiff, spine-tipped bracts. Stems are ribbed and often striped with red or purple. Small flowers without showy petals form in the leaf axils, each set behind spiny bracts, from summer into autumn. At maturity the whole plant dries, breaks off at the base, and tumbles in the wind, scattering seed over long distances. A single plant can produce tens of thousands of seeds. It completes its life cycle in one growing season and dies after setting seed. The species colonizes disturbed, dry, and saline ground, including roadsides, fallow fields, and degraded rangeland, and is treated as a weed across much of its naturalized range.
Native Range
Of Eurasian origin, now widely naturalized in Australia, North America, southern Africa, and other dry-summer regions. Grows on disturbed, sandy, and saline soils in arid and semi-arid country, including roadsides, cultivated fields, and degraded rangeland.Suggested Uses
Not cultivated as an ornamental; the species is managed as a weed. Young plants are sometimes grazed by livestock before the spines harden. Dried mature plants are occasionally collected as decorative tumbleweeds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Bloom Information
Flowers from summer into autumn, roughly December to April in the Southern Hemisphere and July to October in the Northern Hemisphere. Flowering follows germination by about 6-10 weeks and continues until the plant dries. The small wind-pollinated flowers have no petals and little visual presence.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
greenish, sometimes pink-tingedFoliage Description
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
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established