Atriplex halimusMediterranean Saltbush

The Atriplex halimus, commonly known as the Mediterranean Saltbush or Sea Orach, is a vigorous silver-grey shrub of Mediterranean and north African coasts and salt steppes. It forms a dense, broad mass of thick, mealy, triangular leaves that hold a strong silver colour through the hottest part of the year.

It clips well, takes direct salt wind and grows fast enough to be useful as a first-line shelter planting on new coastal sites. It is used for coastal shelter belts, silver hedging, saline rehabilitation and highway verge planting.

Specifications

• Height1 to 3 metres
• Width1.5 to 3 metres
• Native toThe Mediterranean basin and north Africa, extending to the Atlantic coast and the salt steppes of the interior
• FoliageThick, mealy, triangular to ovate silver-grey leaves held densely; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilAccepts saline, alkaline, sandy, gravelly and moderately heavy soils; needs drainage more than fertility
• LightFull sun
• WaterVery low; strongly drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in Mediterranean, arid, semi-arid and coastal regions and carries Gulf summer heat well

Additional Features

• FormDense broad silver mass; responds well to clipping and regenerates readily from old wood
• UsesCoastal shelter belts and windbreaks, silver hedging, saline site rehabilitation, highway verge and embankment planting
• SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart for a clipped hedge, or 2 to 2.5 metres for informal mass
• Low MaintenanceCut back hard as needed to hold density and colour; no feeding or spraying required
• Pest ResistanceRobust with no significant recurring problems
• Salt ToleranceVery high in both soil and salt-laden wind, and used as a nurse species on saline coastal sites
• Drought ToleranceVery high once established, holding silver foliage through long dry summers
• Seasonal AppealStrong silver-grey foliage colour held all year, useful as contrast against green mass planting
• Environmental BenefitsWidely used in saline land reclamation and as drought forage reserve

The Mediterranean Saltbush is a fast, clippable silver shrub that will take the salt wind a coastal scheme has to survive.