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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Grayia spinosa (Spiny hopsage)
Reveal, James L.

Grayia spinosa

Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq.

Spiny Hopsage, Spiny Hop-sage

Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot Family)

Synonym(s): Atriplex grayi, Atriplex spinosa

USDA Symbol: GRSP

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A semi-evergreen shrub, 2-5 ft. tall, with many stiff, erect, spiny branches. Older branches have shredding, dark gray bark. The fleshy, oval leaves are scurf-pubescent when young, becoming shinier with age. The flower cluster, a dense spike, is not showy. It is followed by a cluster of reddish or whitish fruiting bracts.

Extremely drought tolerant thanks to a deep root system, this shrub serves as a good food source for browsers, especially in the dry months when other plants have dropped their leaves.

 

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall.
Leaf: White-Gray
Fruit: Utricle.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Native Distribution: S.w. MT to e. WA, s. to AZ & e. CA
Native Habitat: Dry, brushy plains, foothills & desert valleys

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry, deep to shallow, often alkaline soils.
Conditions Comments: Extremely drought tolerant due to a deep root system.

Propagation

Seed Collection: Seeds from the winged fruit are flat, round, and brown.
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 on display at the following locations:

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

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-13
Research By: TWC Staff

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