# Saltlover (*Halogeton glomeratus*)

Saltlover is a special plant that loves salty soils! It has small, round leaves and can grow in places where most plants can't. This makes it a tough little survivor in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Desert

![Saltlover](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Halogeton_glomeratus_%283939414465%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Halogeton_glomeratus_%283939414465%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Saltlover is a bushy annual plant with small, cylindrical, fleshy leaves that often end in a stiff bristle. Its tiny, green flowers are clustered in the leaf axils, and the plant can develop reddish tones as it matures, making it stand out.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Amaranthaceae
- **Genus:** Halogeton

## Interesting facts

- Animals like sheep can get very sick, or even die, if they eat too much of this plant!
- Its scientific name, Halogeton, literally means 'salt neighbor' because it thrives near salty places.
- Saltlover is an invasive weed in parts of the world, rapidly taking over rangelands!
- This plant can make the soil around it even saltier when it dies, harming other plants!

## Special abilities

- **Salt Accumulator:** Saltlover can absorb and store high levels of salt in its tissues, allowing it to thrive in salty soils where most other plants cannot.
- **Water Hoarder:** Saltlover has thick, fleshy leaves that help it store water, an adaptation crucial for survival in arid environments.
- **Chemical Shield:** Saltlover produces high levels of oxalates, a chemical defense that makes it toxic to grazing animals, protecting it from being eaten.
- **Tumbling Traveler:** Saltlover can break off at the base and tumble in the wind, scattering its seeds far and wide to colonize new areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-50 cm
- **Spread:** 10-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Domestic Sheep (*Ovis aries*) — Toxic when consumed, causing kidney damage.
- **Eaten by:** Domestic Cattle (*Bos taurus*) — Can cause illness if eaten in large amounts.
- **Eats:** Halogeton Casebearer Moth (*Coleophora halogetonella*) — Larvae feed on seeds and foliage of the plant.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [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.
- [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

Don't eat any plants you find outside unless a grown-up says it's safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Saltlover?

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 Saltlover?

10-50 cm

### How wide does Saltlover spread?

10-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Saltlover?

0.1-0.3 cm

### When does Saltlover bloom?

Late Summer to Fall

### Is Saltlover edible?

No

### Is Saltlover toxic?

High

### What is Saltlover's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Chaco Culture National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chaco-culture-national-historical-park) — New Mexico, US · National Park
- [Goldfield Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/goldfield-historic-district) — Nevada, US · Historic District

## 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*)

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Source: [Saltlover: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/saltlover)