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Atriplex canescens
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Shadscale
( Atriplex canescens )
Atriplex canescens
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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25 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Shadscale (Atriplex canescens)
25 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Atriplex canescens
(Chamiso, Chamiza, Four wing saltbush, Four-wing saltbush, Fourwing saltbush) is a species of evergreen shrub in the Amaranthaceae family, which is native to the western United States. Fourwing saltbush has a highly variable form, and readily hybridizes with several other species in the Atriplex genus. The degree of polyploidy also results in variations in form. Its height can vary from 1 foot to 10 feet, but 2 to 4 feet is most common. The leaves are thin and 0.5 to 2 inches long. It is most readily identified by its fruits, which have four wings at roughly 90 degree angles and are densely packed on long stems. The fruit stem resembles a mass of corn flakes.
Atriplex canscens is a great bird plant. Best to plant in dry salty soils. Susceptible to root rot unless drought or salt stressed.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Shrub
Size
1 - 10 ft tall
3 - 7 ft wide
Form
Upright, Mounding
Growth Rate
Fast, Slow
Dormancy
Summer Semi-Deciduous, Evergreen
Flower Color
Yellow, Green
Flowering Season
Summer, Spring
Wildlife Supported
Very important bird plant in its natural range. Also attracts native bees and many butterfly species.
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 6
confirmed
, 10
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Western Pygmy Blue
Brephidium exilis
Brephidium exilis
Mohave Sootywing
Hesperopsis libya
Hesperopsis libya
San Emigdio Blue
Plebejus emigdionis
Plebejus emigdionis
Meske's Pero Moth
Pero meskaria
Pero meskaria
Glaucina ochrofuscaria
Glaucina ochrofuscaria
Saltbush Sootywing
Hesperopsis alpheus
Hesperopsis alpheus
*
Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus
Pholisora catullus
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 25
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0 - 10° F
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Tolerates a wide variety of soil types, including salt, sand and clay and very alkaline soils.. Tolerates Saline Soil. Soil PH: 7 - 8
Common uses
Hedges, Butterfly Gardens, Bird Gardens
Companion Plants
Coyote Bush
(
Baccharis pilularis
), Mojave
Buckwheat
(
Eriogonum fasciculatum
var foliolosum),
Cream Bush
(
Holodiscus discolor
), Hairy
Sand Verbena
(
Abronia villosa
), About
Saltgrass
(
Distichlis spicata
),
Big Saltbush
(
Atriplex lentiformis
),
California Saltbush
(
Extriplex californica
),
Joshua Tree
(
Yucca brevifolia
),
California Box Thorn
(
Lycium californicum
)
Maintenance
Subject to root rot unless drought stressed. Rabbit and deer often eat younger plants.
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds need dry storage for about 10 mos.; stored seeds, no treatment. (USDA Forest Service 1974; or 2.5 mos. stratification (Stidham et al. 1980).
Natural Setting
Site Type
Areas with poor soils, often salty, alkaline or clay slopes, stabilized sand dunes, gravelly washes.
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 1.9" - 35.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.17" - 3.32", Coldest Month: 25.6" - 63.3", Hottest Month: 55.7" - 89.6", Humidity: 0.74" - 47.01", Elevation: -234" - 7983"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Fourwing Saltbush
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Shadscale
Atriplex canescens
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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