Shrub · Sonoran native
Four-wing saltbush
Atriplex canescens · Amaranthaceae
Also called: Fourwing saltbush, Chamiso, Chamiza, Wingscale
Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) is a very low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 3-6 ft H x 4-8 ft W in full sun, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Four-wing saltbush at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun
- Mature size
- 3-6 ft H x 4-8 ft W
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- Inconspicuous yellowish (dioecious); ornamental interest is the tan-to-straw four-winged seed bracts on female plants, Flowers spring to summer; showy papery seed wings persist late summer into fall/winter
- Cold hardiness
- Very cold hardy, to about -20 F; USDA zones 4-9 (5-11 in cultivation)
- Soil
- Extremely adaptable; thrives in poor, dry, sandy, gravelly, and notably saline or alkaline soils. Needs good drainage; tolerant of clay if not waterlogged.
- Native range
- Widespread in western North America including Arizona; deserts, grasslands, and dunes from the Great Basin and Great Plains through the Southwest and northern Mexico
- Best used as
- Revegetation and reclamation, Erosion and dune stabilization, Windbreaks and informal screens/hedges, Wildlife and habitat plantings, Saline/alkaline problem soils
- Wildlife
- Important browse for deer, pronghorn, and rabbits and excellent cover and seed source for quail and other birds and small mammals; a larval host for some butterflies. Seeds (and young leaves) are edible to humans.
- Toxicity
- Not toxic; long used as forage and famine food. Foliage can accumulate selenium on seleniferous soils, a concern only for heavy livestock browsing in those areas.
How to grow Four-wing saltbush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Establish with occasional deep irrigation, then little to no supplemental water; survives on rainfall. Deep extensive roots (to ~20 ft) make it highly drought tolerant.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None needed; adapted to infertile soils and tolerates salinity.
Pruning & care
Minimal; can be left natural or pruned in late winter to shape, control size, or rejuvenate. Tolerates hard renewal pruning. Remove dead wood as needed.
Notes
Tough, long-lived, semi-evergreen native shrub prized for salt tolerance and the showy four-winged seed clusters that give it its name. Dioecious (separate male and female plants); females bear the ornamental wings. A workhorse for reclamation and harsh sites.
Sources: Arizona Native Plant Society (Four-wing Saltbush); USDA NRCS Plant Guide (Atriplex canescens); Southwest Desert Flora; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center