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Four-wing Saltbush

Atriplex canescens

Other common name(s):

Chamiso, Wing-scale

Family:

Amaranthaceae (Amaranth Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Arid Llano Estacado, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

3
to
8
ft.

Spread

2
to
4
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Limestone, Caliche, Alkaline, Calcareous, Well Drained, Saline

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Nectar

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Small Mammals, Bees

Maintenance

Works well in extremely dry, salty conditions and is recommended for its durability rather than its beauty. Give lots of space, it likes to spread. Prune to shape. If planting in a rabbit or deer area, plants will need to be caged until foliage reaches 3-4 ft. Plant readily hybridizes with other varieties of Saltbush. Gather seed by hand when ripe in late summer or fall. Store seed in cloth or paper bags in a dry, cool place. Seeds must undergo a 10 month period of after-ripening. Propagation: Seed, softwood cuttings.

Comments

Blooms March-November. Flowers are insignificant, but the clusters of gold-tan, four-winged fruits, which occur on female plants only, are the most attractive feature. Small, narrow leaves are covered with a dense, silvery hairs. Showy plant for landscaping, also used for erosion control. Can be invasive and difficult to control in wetland areas. Can concentrate selenium from the soil making it toxic to livestock and wildlife. Important as wildlife cover and food plant. Pollination: bees, nectar insects. Fruit: fruit-mammals, fruit-birds. Laval host: San Emigdio Blue, Mohave Sootywing, Saltbush Sootywing.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=562&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Atriplex+canescens&formsubmit=Search+Terms 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ATCA2. 5) Wasowski, Sally and Wasowski, Andy, Native Texas Plants, Landscaping Region by Region, 1988, 1991, pg 232. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=20518#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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