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Atriplex nummularia - Lindl.

Common Name Giant Saltbush, Bluegreen saltbush
Family Chenopodiaceae
USDA hardiness 7-10
Known Hazards No member of this genus contains any toxins, all have more or less edible leaves. However, if grown with artificial fertilizers, they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves.
Habitats Alkaline places, mainly below 600 metres in California[71].
Range Australia. Naturalized in South-western N. America.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Frost Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Atriplex nummularia Giant Saltbush, Bluegreen saltbush


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cgoodwin
Atriplex nummularia Giant Saltbush, Bluegreen saltbush

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of shrub
Atriplex nummularia is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3.5 m (11ft 6in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to July. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves  Shoots
Edible Uses:

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[K]. Seed - cooked. It can be used as a piñole or be ground into a meal and used as a thickener in soups that are added to flour for making bread.

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


The plant has been used for the treatment of scurvy and blood diseases[1096].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Fire retardant  Fodder  Hedge  Soil stabilization

Fodder for sheep and cattle. A fire-retardant hedge in arid, inland areas. Agroforestry Uses: The plant has excellent potential for use as a windbreak[707]. It provides a useful windbreak which, along with readily visible leaves in the lights of cars at night, makes it suitable for roadside plantings. Ornamental. The ornamental foliage can be pruned to make hedges and provides an attractive silvery contrast against darker plants in the garden[343]. With its deep root system, the plant has good potential for use to prevent soil erosion[707]. Other Uses: The wood is a high-quality fuel[707].

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Hedge

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Fodder: Bank  Management: Coppice  Management: Fodder  Regional Crop

Requires a position in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[200]. Tolerates saline and very alkaline soils[200]. Succeeds in a hot dry position. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the UK, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[200]. Plants are usually monoecious but can be dioecious. Prefers an average annual rainfall between 300 - 600 mm. It is unlikely to do well in humid regions.

Carbon Farming

  • Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
  • Fodder: Bank  Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
  • Management: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
  • Management: Fodder  Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
  • Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Propagation

Seed - sow April/May in a cold frame in a compost of peat and sand. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 13°c[134]. Pot up the seedlings when still small into individual pots, grow on in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Pot up as soon as they start to root (about 3 weeks) and plant out in their permanent positions late in the following spring[K]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November/December in a frame. Very easy. Pot up in early spring and plant out in their permanent position in early summer[K].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia*, China, India, North America, South Africa, Southern Africa, Southern America, Swaziland, Taiwan, USA,

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Atriplex argenteaSilvery Orach, Silverscale saltbush, Stalked saltbushAnnual0.5 0-0  LMNM222
Atriplex argentea expansaSilverscale SaltbushAnnual0.6 -  LMNM20 
Atriplex californicaCalifornia Orach, California saltbushPerennial0.1 7-10  LMNDM30 
Atriplex canescensGrey Sage Brush, Fourwing saltbushShrub1.8 6-9  LMNDM413
Atriplex carnosaThickleaf OrachAnnual0.9 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex confertifoliaShadscale, Shadscale saltbushShrub1.8 6-9  LMNDM410
Atriplex coronataCrownscaleAnnual0.4 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex dimorphostegia Annual0.2 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex elegansWheelscale SaltbushAnnual0.2 0-0  LMNDM200
Atriplex glabriusculaScotland orache, Maritime saltbush, Frankton's saltbush, Northeastern saltbushAnnual0.3 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex gmeliniiGmelin's saltbushAnnual0.5 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex halimusSea Orach, SaltbushShrub2.0 7-10 MLMNDM513
Atriplex hastataHastate OrachAnnual0.8 0-0  LMNDM302
Atriplex hortensisOrach, Garden oracheAnnual1.8 5-9 FLMNM423
Atriplex lapathifolia Annual0.9 -  LMNDM30 
Atriplex lentiformisQuail Bush, Big saltbush, Quailbush,Shrub3.0 7-10  LMNDM312
Atriplex maximowiczianaMaximowicz's saltbushPerennial0.8 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex mucronata Annual0.4 -  LMHNDM20 
Atriplex nuttalliiNuttall's SaltbushShrub0.9 5-9  LMNDM400
Atriplex patulaSpreading Orach, Spear saltbushAnnual0.8 0-0  LMNM31 
Atriplex powelliiPowell's SaltweedAnnual1.5 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex saccariaSack SaltbushAnnual0.3 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex semibaccataAustralian Saltbush. Australian saltbush, Creeping saltbushShrub0.5 9-11 FLMHNDM203
Atriplex serenanaBractscale, Davidson's bractscaleAnnual3.0 7-10  LMNDM20 
Atriplex subcordata Annual0.5 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex tataricaTatarian oracheAnnual1.5 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex truncataWedgescale SaltbushAnnual0.9 7-10  LMNDM204

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

Lindl.

Botanical References

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Victor Burke   Mon Feb 16 13:03:58 2004

Link: Elsenburg Detailed info on atriplex nummularia. Known as Oldman Saltbush in South Africa

   Jun 18 2012 12:00AM

Many atriplex varieties, including a. nummularia and a. halimus have significant oxalate content that makes them toxic if eaten raw and in quantity. Cooking in water removes most of this, but when grazed by animals, as it is in some dry areas, the risk of harm is considerable. The statement you've posted for both varieties, that "No member of this genus contains any toxins" is not quite accurate. This study is typical of many looking at saltbush as forage: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4004041

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