# Shadscale Saltbush (*Atriplex confertifolia*)

Shadscale Saltbush is a tough plant that grows in dry places. Its leaves are gray-green and can help animals survive in the desert by storing water.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Desert

![Shadscale Saltbush](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Atriplex_confertifolia_%285041779203%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_confertifolia_%285041779203%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Shadscale Saltbush is a dense, spiny shrub with a rounded shape and unique silvery-gray, scaly leaves. Its dull, grayish appearance helps it blend into arid landscapes, making it visually distinct from greener desert plants.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people sometimes used its ash to make a kind of soap!
- Did you know its tiny leaves can actually taste salty if you try them?
- It's sometimes called a "halophyte," which means "salt-loving plant."
- The Shadscale Saltbush can live for over 100 years in the harsh desert.

## Special abilities

- **Desert Drinker:** This plant has deep roots that help it find and absorb water from far below the dry desert surface.
- **Thorny Shield:** The Shadscale Saltbush has stiff, spiny branches that protect its tender leaves from hungry animals looking for a snack.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-150 cm
- **Spread:** 50-200 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses leaves and twigs, especially in winter
- **Eats:** [Black-tailed Jackrabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-jackrabbit) (*Lepus californicus*) — eats its leaves and stems as a food source
- **Eats:** Greater Sage-Grouse (*Centrocercus urophasianus*) — relies on its leaves for winter food
- **Eats:** Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (*Dipodomys merriami*) — collects and consumes its nutritious seeds
- **Shelter:** Desert Woodrat (*Neotoma lepida*) — uses its branches to build protective nests and middens

## Traits

- [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.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [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 without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Shadscale 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 Shadscale Saltbush?

30-150 cm

### How wide does Shadscale Saltbush spread?

50-200 cm

### When does Shadscale Saltbush bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Shadscale Saltbush edible?

Yes

### Is Shadscale Saltbush toxic?

None

### What is Shadscale Saltbush's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Shadscale Saltbush pollinated?

Wind

## Where to spot

- [Colorado National Monument Visitor Center Complex](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colorado-national-monument-visitor-center-complex) — Colorado, US · National Park
- [Painted Hills](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/painted-hills) — Oregon, US · Natural Landmark
- [Rainbow Basin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rainbow-basin) — California, US · Nature Reserve

[View all places to see Shadscale Saltbush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/shadscale-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*)

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Source: [Shadscale Saltbush: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shadscale-saltbush)