Grow saltbush in full sun and soil that drains after rain. Saltbush is Atriplex. It is a dry alkaline shrub, not garden orache.
Give it full sun and soil that drains, and skip extra water once it is established
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least six hours a day | Do not plant it in shade, where the shrub goes thin |
| Water | Water through the first growing season while the roots go down; after that, skip extra water | Do not keep the roots in a wet pocket |
| Soil | Alkaline or salty ground that drains after rain | Do not plant where water stands in winter |
| Feed | Skip fertilizer | Do not pile on nitrogen, which makes soft growth that rots in wet soil |
fourwing saltbush is a silvery dry-land shrub. Give it open sun and soil that dries between rains, including alkaline or salty ground. Water a new plant through the first growing season so the roots can go down. After that, skip extra water. Standing water around those roots is the primary cause of root rot. [1] [2] red mountain spinach wants a moist salad bed — see How to Grow Orache.
Does fourwing saltbush need full sun?
Yes. Plant it where it gets at least six hours of direct sun. Shade makes a thin shrub.
Do I water fourwing saltbush after the first year?
Only in a long drought. Once the roots are down, skip the extra water. Standing water after that is the primary cause of root rot.
Is fourwing saltbush drought tolerant?
Yes, once it is established. Water a new shrub through the first growing season. After that, dry spells are normal.
Plant a young shrub in spring at the same depth as the pot
Start with a young nursery plant in spring, before the worst heat. Set it at the same depth it sat in the pot, in full sun and draining soil. Give it room to reach three to six feet wide. Water it through that first growing season. A mature shrub does not move well once the deep roots are down. [3]
- Buy a young nursery plant. Do not lift a mature shrub from dry ground.
- Plant in spring, at the same depth as the pot, in full sun and soil that drains.
- Give the shrub room to reach three to six feet wide.
- Water through the first growing season. After that, skip extra water unless a long drought sets in.
When do I plant fourwing saltbush?
Plant a young plant in spring at the same depth as the pot, then water it through the first season. A mature shrub does not move well.
Cut it back in late winter if it gets open and leggy
You do not have to prune a tidy shrub. If the plant is open, leggy, or tired, cut it in late winter before new growth starts. Take out dead wood, then cut the remaining stems back by about a third. A harder cut can thicken a thin plant, but leave some older wood so the shrub still has a frame.
- Wait until late winter, before new growth starts.
- Cut out dead or rubbing stems first.
- Cut the remaining stems back by about a third if the shrub is open or leggy.
- Leave some older wood. Do not take the whole plant to the ground in one year.
When do I prune fourwing saltbush?
Late winter, before new growth. Cut an open shrub back by about a third, and leave some older wood.
Not coyote brush — and not California chamise
Saltbush in the dry-garden trade is Atriplex, a silvery shrub. Coyote brush is Baccharis, a different shrub that is sometimes sold as eastern saltbush — see How to Grow Coyote Brush. California chamise is Adenostoma, a chaparral shrub. Greasewood is Sarcobatus. Confirm the Latin on the tag. Garden orache is the leafy annual in this genus, not this hedge. [4]
Is this the same as coyote brush?
No. Coyote brush is Baccharis. Saltbush in this genus is Atriplex. They are not interchangeable.
If the shrub is open and leggy, cut it back in late winter. If you bought the red salad annual, grow it on How to Grow Orache.
FAQ
Can I grow fourwing saltbush in a pot?
No. This shrub wants open ground and a deep root run. Plant it in the bed.
Can I start fourwing saltbush from seed?
A nursery plant is the usual start. Restoration seed needs months of dry storage and the wings stripped off, which is not a garden packet job.
Does fourwing saltbush need fertilizer?
No. Extra feed makes soft growth that rots if the soil stays wet.
Can livestock eat fourwing saltbush?
On some soils the leaves accumulate selenium. Do not plant it as forage without local advice.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ATCA2 - [2] Conservation Garden Park -
https://conservationgardenpark.jvwcd.gov/plants/505/four-wing-saltbrush - [3] USDA NRCS -
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_atca2.pdf - [4] University of Arizona Campus Arboretum -
https://arboretum.arizona.edu/snyder-preserve-atriplex-canescens
This note is part of Atriplex Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors