Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf: Gray-green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , HI , NV , UT
Native Distribution: S.w. UT & s. NV to AZ & s. CA
Native Habitat: Low, alkaline places
USDA Native Status: L48(N), HI(I)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist to dry, saline soils
Conditions Comments: Can become rather rank and is good only for large areas. Ssp. breweri, native to the southern coastal region of CA, is similar in appearance and often used for conservation plantings. It requires full sun and dry soils.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Important as wildlife cover and food plants.
Use Food: Used by Native Americans to flavor food due to salty content.
Attracts: Birds

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Atriplex lentiformis is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis alpheus) Larval Host Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Description: Increase by seed or softwood cuttings. Optimum germination occurs in darkness with alternating diurnal temperatures.
Seed Collection: Gather by hand when ripe in late summer or fall. Cleaning or dewinging before storage is not necessary although the bracts contain high accumulations of soluble salts which may inhibit germination. Store seed in cloth or paper bags in a dry, cool place. Seeds must undergo a period of after-ripening.
Seed Treatment: Germination of many Atriplex species can be increased by presoaking the fruits and then wringing the water and dissolved salts from the material.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Atriplex lentiformis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Atriplex lentiformis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Atriplex lentiformis