Salsola australis
Russian thistle
(c) Adam J. Searcy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Adam J. Searcy · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Salsola australis (Russian thistle) is a non-native California annual in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by glaucous stems, opaque fruit wings, and fan-shaped smallest wings.
Russian thistle is a naturalized annual found in California's Central Valley, Central Western, Southern Coastal, and Desert regions, occurring in disturbed places, road banks, open slopes, railroad tracks, and shorelines at elevations below 700 meters. Flowering from March to January, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers with soft, translucent sepals. Growing up to 2 meters tall with brittle stems that are blue-glaucous to green and occasionally red-striped, it forms a branched, open structure. Its leaves vary from opposite to alternate, featuring sharp-pointed or spiny tips and broad, translucent margins that become wider at the base. The distinctive fruit develops wings that are opaque with few dark veins, measuring 4.8 to 7.9 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are glaucous stems, opaque fruit wings, and fan-shaped smallest wings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places, road banks, open slopes, railroad tracks, shorelines
Elevation: < 700 m
California counties: Kern, Ventura, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange, Merced, Monterey, Fresno, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, San Joaquin, Madera, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, San Bernardino, Colusa, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Imperial, Kings, Alameda, Butte, Plumas
Outside California: southwestern North America, Mexico, Africa, possibly native to Australia
Bloom period
Salsola australis blooms Mar-Jan.
How to tell it apart
vs Suaeda: Salsola leaves taper to sharp spine tips; Suaeda leaves have soft rounded tips.; vs Amaranthus: Salsola has spine-tipped thread-like leaves; Amaranthus has broad soft leaves without spines.; vs Artemisia: Salsola has spine-tipped succulent leaves; Artemisia has soft, aromatic, often divided gray leaves.; vs Dittrichia: Salsola has spine-tipped cylindrical leaves; Dittrichia has soft sticky leaves and yellow daisy flowers.; vs Eriogonum: Salsola has spine-tipped thread-like leaves; Eriogonum has soft leaves clustered at base with woolly undersides.
Frequently asked questions
Is Salsola australis native to California?
No. Salsola australis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Salsola australis bloom?
Salsola australis blooms Mar-Jan.
Where in California does Salsola australis grow?
Salsola australis occurs in Kern, Ventura, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange, Merced and other counties, at elevations of < 700 m.
What plant family does Salsola australis belong to?
Salsola australis is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Salsola.
What habitat does Salsola australis grow in?
Salsola australis grows in Disturbed places, road banks, open slopes, railroad tracks, shorelines.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.