Shadscale

Atriplex confertifolia

Shadscale is a spiny, silvery saltbush of cold deserts and alkaline flats, vital browse and seed for wildlife and a tough soil-binder for saline, arid ground.

Family: Amaranthaceae
Type: shrub
Lifespan: perennial
Height: 1–3 ft
Spacing: 2–4 ft apart
Light: sun
Soil moisture: dry
Soil pH: neutral, alkaline
Bloom: May, June
Bloom colors: yellow, brown
Wildlife value: songbirds, mammals
Landscape uses: foundation
Native states: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY