Nuttall's Saltbush
Atriplex nuttallii
Family: Chenopodiaceae
What it is like
Atriplex nuttallii is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.9 m (3ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. 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.
Height (m): 0.9
Where it is found
Strongly saline and dry soils.
Western N. America - Manitoba to Saskatchewan, south to Nebraska, Colorado and Nevada
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Canada, North America, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Leaves and stems - cooked. It is usually cooked with wheat. The leaves and stems can be used to add a salty flavour to other cooked foods. Seed - cooked. Used in piñole or ground into a meal and used as a thickener in making bread or mixed with flour in making bread.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Requires a light or medium well-drained but not too fertile soil in a sunny position. Tolerates saline and very alkaline soils. Succeeds in a hot dry position. Some modern works treat this species as a synonym of Atriplex gardneri aptera. This plant has more or less annual stems produced from a woody base. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: 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. 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. 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
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.