# Fourwing Saltbush (*Atriplex canescens*) Fourwing Saltbush is a tough plant that grows in dry places. It has soft, silvery leaves and small, winged seeds that look like tiny sails. This plant helps the soil and provides food for animals. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Desert ![Fourwing Saltbush](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Atriplex_canescens_var_canescens_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_var_canescens_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Fourwing Saltbush is a hardy shrub with a dense, rounded shape and distinctive silvery-green or gray-green leaves. Its most unique feature is its papery, pale-yellow to pinkish, four-winged seeds that cling to the branches. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Amaranthaceae - **Genus:** Atriplex ## Interesting facts - Ancient Pueblo people ground its seeds into flour for baking! - Its leaves can be used to make a soapy lather, useful in the desert! - Many kinds of animals, from birds to deer, rely on it for food! - This tough plant helps stop soil from washing away in windy places. ## Special abilities - **Salt Shield:** Fourwing Saltbush can grow in very salty soil because its roots and leaves handle high salt levels, helping it thrive where other plants can't. - **Desert Thirst Quencher:** Fourwing Saltbush has super deep roots that can reach water far underground, helping it survive long droughts in dry desert lands. - **Winged Seed Glider:** Fourwing Saltbush has special four-winged seeds that catch the wind, helping them fly far away to find new places to grow. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-250 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall (May-October) - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Leaves and twigs are a food source - **Eaten by:** [Pronghorn](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pronghorn) (*Antilocapra americana*) — Important browse in arid environments - **Eaten by:** [Black-tailed Jackrabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-jackrabbit) (*Lepus californicus*) — Provides food and cover - **Shelter:** Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (*Dipodomys merriami*) — Uses shrubs for cover and protection - **Shelter:** [Dark-eyed Junco](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dark-eyed-junco) (*Junco hyemalis*) — Nests within its branches ## Traits - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fourwing Saltbush? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Fourwing Saltbush? 50-300 cm ### How wide does Fourwing Saltbush spread? 100-250 cm ### When does Fourwing Saltbush bloom? Late spring to fall (May-October) ### Is Fourwing Saltbush edible? Yes ### Is Fourwing Saltbush toxic? None ### What is Fourwing Saltbush's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Fourwing Saltbush pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Mariscal Mine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mariscal-mine) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [Chaco Culture National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chaco-culture-national-historical-park) — New Mexico, US · National Park - [Bandelier CCC Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bandelier-ccc-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Gallup Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gallup-commercial-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/living-desert-zoo-and-gardens-state-park) — New Mexico, US · Botanical Garden - [Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/painted-desert-community-complex-historic-district) — Arizona, US · Historic District [View all places to see Fourwing Saltbush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fourwing-saltbush) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fourwing Saltbush: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fourwing-saltbush)