Atriplex rosea
Tumbling orach, Tumbling Orach
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Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Atriplex rosea (Tumbling orach) is a non-native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by widespread, tall annual, firm coarsely-toothed leaves, hard triangular bracts.
Tumbling orach is a naturalized annual herb found in California's open, disturbed places and fields at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces small, unremarkable flowers on erect branches that can grow 40 to 150 centimeters tall. Growing with ascending stems that are smooth and nearly hairless, it develops sturdy, wavy-edged leaves that are ovate to lanceolate in shape. Its leaves are distinctive, measuring 10 to 60 millimeters long, appearing green with a dense, fine scale covering on the undersides. The plant produces small, diamond-shaped fruit bracts that are hard and slightly tubercled, with seeds that are 2 to 2.5 millimeters long and colored brown or black.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 56 sympatric species; widespread, tall annual, firm coarsely-toothed leaves, hard triangular bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open, disturbed places, fields
Elevation: < 2500 m
California counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Tulare, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Benito, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Kern, San Diego, Alameda, Contra Costa, Inyo, Modoc, Mono, Humboldt, Solano, Merced, Siskiyou, Lassen, San Mateo, Monterey, San Francisco, Marin, Yolo, Del Norte, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Sacramento, Butte, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sierra, Lake, Stanislaus, Napa, Kings, Sutter, Plumas, Nevada, Fresno
Outside California: to eastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Atriplex rosea blooms Jul-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 rosea native to California?
No. Atriplex rosea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Atriplex rosea bloom?
Atriplex rosea blooms Jul-Oct.
Where in California does Atriplex rosea grow?
Atriplex rosea occurs in Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Tulare, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, San Benito, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of < 2500 m.
What plant family does Atriplex rosea belong to?
Atriplex rosea is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Atriplex.
What habitat does Atriplex rosea grow in?
Atriplex rosea grows in Common. Open, disturbed places, fields.
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.