Friday, July 26, 2013

Just What Is a Saltbush Anyway?

We are blessed with fourwing saltbush on our ranchlet.
This plant has many names.  Rancher Roy calls it chamisa.  
It is also called white greasewood, saltsage, fourwing shadscale, and bushy atriplex.

Saltbush is an excellent forage food for cattle, antelope, elk, and other wildlife.  It is a highly nutritious source of food all year long, comparable to alfalfa.

Saltbush is a native drought tolerant plant, just perfect for this high and dry area we call home.  Elevation 6209 feet.


This post is part of the following blog hops
An Oregon Cottage Garden Party Highlights

4 comments:

  1. I have never heard of saltbush before. Interesting how nutritious it is for so many animals. Good to have a drought tolerant plant that can be used for food.

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  2. That's an entirely different type of saltbush than what I have in my backyard here in Florida.
    Cool!

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  3. We have a different kind of saltbush, here in Ms. Ours is about 4 to 5 feet tall and has white fuzzy blooms. I have always liked them. They are not cultivated-just grow wild.

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  4. It seems "saltbush" is a general term for any plant that thrives in salty, alkaline, or mineralized soils. We do not cultivate it either. I comes up on it own when nothing much else will grow because of the arid environment.

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