Atriplex lentiformis

Big saltbush

Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Big saltbush is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada, southern Central Valley delta, southern Coastal Range, southern California, southern Channel Islands, northern Western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Sierra Nevada eastern edge, and desert regions at elevations below 1,200 meters in alkaline or saline washes and dry lake scrublands. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces small greenish-white flowers in panicle-like clusters. Growing 2 to 4 meters tall with many spreading to ascending branches that occasionally develop spine-like twigs, it forms a wide, dense structure typically broader than its height. Its leaves are distinctive, with ovate to oblong-elliptic blades 1.2 to 6 centimeters long, featuring entire to wavy margins and truncate or slightly hastate bases. The shrub produces small dark brown seeds approximately 1.5 millimeters long, thriving in harsh saline environments.

Habitat: Alkaline or saline washes, dry lakes, scrub

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: < 1200 m

Bioregions: s SN, deltaic GV, SCoRI, SCo, s ChI, n WTR, PR, SNE, D

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, Inyo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Merced, San Benito, Monterey, Marin, Kern, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Butte, Fresno, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Mono, Yolo, Tulare, San Joaquin

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.