Shrub · Sonoran native
Quail bush
Atriplex lentiformis · Amaranthaceae (Chenopodiaceae)
Also called: Big saltbush, Quailbush, Lenscale, Lens-scale saltbush
Quail bush (Atriplex lentiformis) is a very low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 6-10 ft H x 8-12 ft W (large, dense, mounding) in full sun, with a fast growth rate.
Quail bush at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates intense reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 6-10 ft H x 8-12 ft W (large, dense, mounding)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Inconspicuous; small yellowish-green to tan flowers, dioecious (separate male and female plants), Summer to fall; ornamentally insignificant, grown for foliage and form.
- Cold hardiness
- Cold hardy to about 0-10 F; roughly USDA zone 6-7 and warmer. Evergreen to semi-evergreen.
- Soil
- Highly adaptable; thrives in saline, alkaline, and sodic soils where most plants fail. Tolerates clay and poor drainage better than most desert shrubs; very salt tolerant.
- Native range
- Southwestern U.S. (Arizona, southern California, southern Nevada, Utah) and northwestern Mexico (Sonora, Baja California); common in valley bottoms, alkaline flats, washes, and disturbed saline soils.
- Best used as
- Large screen, windbreak, or visual barrier, Erosion control and revegetation, Salt- and alkali-tolerant problem-site plantings, Wildlife habitat and bird cover, Phytoremediation / reclaimed-water landscapes
- Wildlife
- Excellent wildlife shrub: quail and other birds eat the seeds and use the dense canopy for nesting and cover; larval host for some blues/hairstreaks; browsed by mammals. Provides important desert thicket habitat.
- Toxicity
- Not toxic; foliage is forage for wildlife and livestock. Leaves accumulate salts (mealy, saline coating).
How to grow Quail bush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant once established; needs little to no supplemental water in Tucson. Occasional deep summer irrigation produces a larger, denser plant. Excellent for reclaimed/brackish-water or high-salinity sites.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None needed; fertilizer is unnecessary and only drives excessive size.
Pruning & care
Tolerates hard pruning and shearing; cut back hard in late winter to control size and renew dense growth. Can be sheared as an informal hedge or screen, but its natural billowing form is best.
Notes
A tough, fast, very-low-water native built for the worst sites: saline, alkaline, and reflected-heat. Gets very large, so site with room. Silvery gray-green foliage; dioecious. Choose male plants or shear to limit messy seed where litter is a concern.
Sources: AMWUA / Arizona Department of Water Resources Low Water Use plant lists; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; USDA NRCS Plant Guide (Atriplex lentiformis); SEINet / Southwest Desert Flora