Atriplex Species, Quail Bush

I am in 8A. Plant was fully hardy down to 10 - Las Pilitas reports hardy to 0. My negative experience was my own fault. We planted the...Read More Quail Bush (which quail LOVE) in a small wash (also 5' from the sidewalk) that shares drainage from our back yard and the neighbor's yard. They have a lawn that they fertilize, so it was getting significantly more water than we realized. We put a 1 gal plant in in the fall; by May it had tripled in size, by July it was 5x5. By November it was 8' tall and at least 20' across - and we had cut it back twice. We ended up cutting it to the ground and painting it with Brush-b-gon.

I will plant it again, but in an area where we have much better control of the water, and we will only establish water for 2 months. It is fantastic habitat - our local quail were able to rear 14 babies to maturity rather than 1 the prior year. The color is much more silvery blue than regular saltbush.

CORRECTION TO PRIOR POST. This is the deciduous variety but it looks similar to the Canescens and the Torreyi. STILL GOOD IN SALTY SOILS...Read More WITH LOW FERTILITY AND EVEN CLAY OR CALECHE SOIL.