Atriplex prostrata
Fat-hen
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Atriplex prostrata (Fat-hen) is a non-native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by wet habitats, triangular hastate leaves, green unscaly appearance.
Fat-hen is a naturalized annual found in the North Coast, northern Coast Ranges, Central California valleys, western California, and Sierra Nevada foothills in wet places and marshes at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces green flowers with distinctive triangular-hastate leaves. Growing with branched stems 10 to 120 centimeters tall, it appears ascending to nearly erect with green-striped stems that become smooth with age. Its leaves are generally petioled, 10 to 90 millimeters long, with triangular shapes and edges that are entire to wavy-toothed. The plant produces two kinds of seeds, ranging from 1 to 2.5 millimeters long in black or brown colors.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 51 sympatric species; wet habitats, triangular hastate leaves, green unscaly appearance
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places, marshes
Elevation: < 1300 m
California counties: Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Yolo, Santa Clara, Inyo, Contra Costa, Riverside, Orange, Mono, Los Angeles, Del Norte, Kern, Monterey, Colusa, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, Sacramento, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Merced, Solano, Alameda, Siskiyou, San Benito, Stanislaus, Glenn, San Mateo, Lassen, Santa Cruz, Butte, San Francisco, Fresno, San Joaquin, Modoc, Lake, Napa, San Bernardino
Outside California: to eastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Atriplex prostrata blooms Apr-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Artemisia: Atriplex leaves have bead-like scales; Artemisia leaves are finely divided and aromatic when crushed.; vs Ambrosia: Atriplex has simple scaly leaves; Ambrosia has deeply lobed or divided leaves with coarse hairs.; vs Extriplex: Atriplex has 3-5 calyx lobes on male flowers and two seed colors; Extriplex has exactly 4 lobes and uniform dark seeds.; vs Chenopodium: Atriplex has bead-like bladder hairs and paired fruit bracts; Chenopodium has mealy powder and calyx-enclosed fruits.; vs Eriogonum: Atriplex has scaly leaves and paired fruit bracts; Eriogonum has smooth leaves and papery flower tubes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Atriplex prostrata native to California?
No. Atriplex prostrata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Atriplex prostrata bloom?
Atriplex prostrata blooms Apr-Oct.
Where in California does Atriplex prostrata grow?
Atriplex prostrata occurs in Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Yolo, Santa Clara, Inyo, Contra Costa, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 1300 m.
What plant family does Atriplex prostrata belong to?
Atriplex prostrata is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
What habitat does Atriplex prostrata grow in?
Atriplex prostrata grows in Wet places, marshes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.