The beauty of saltbush
2026-06-22T17:00:30+10:00
Looking for a native plant that can grow happily in the dry, hot conditions often found in Australia? Saltbushes are low maintenance plants that may be just what you are looking for.
I first started growing saltbushes during the Millennium Drought of 2000–10 when experimenting with greywater on my garden. I was looking for edible plants that could cope with greywater saltiness on their roots, were heat tolerant and, importantly, were also ornamental, holding their own in a garden design. Among our native saltbushes I was delighted to discover stunning silver leaves, ruby-red, salty-sweet fruits and low maintenance plants tolerant of drought, heat and wind.
What are saltbushes?
Part of the Amaranthaceae family, which includes spinach and quinoa, these hardy natives are shrubs and groundcovers. Some feature stunning silvery foliage, others green or grey.
They cope with soils low in nutrients, moisture and organic matter, thriving on neglect. Saline soils that would kill other plants don’t bother saltbushes, which take up salt through their roots and store it in the leaves. The salt is then shed or excreted when leaves drop, protecting the plant.
With around 60–70 saltbushes in Australia, there are species native to all states and most climatic zones. All are hardy, with some chosen for their leaf uses, and others for their berries.
Best planted as small tubes, some are carried by retail nurseries, otherwise check your local indigenous nursery for the species suited to your area.
Old man saltbush Atriplex nummularia
My favourite for edible leaves, a quick-growing silvery shrub reaching 2m x 2m; smaller with pruning. From inland Australia to coastal zones, these plants make wonderful wind and firebreaks, habitat for birds, insects and spiders and fodder for chickens, also sheep.
Add fresh leaves to salads, pickles, slow-cooked meals, also crisp on pizzas. I crumble dried leaves into food for their saltiness, and love their healthy, earthy flavour in herbal tea blends. Seed pods taste like salty popcorn! Choose plants with larger, tender leaves.
Read Karen Sutherland’s full feature about the native saltbush in the Winter 2026 issue (OG 166). You’ll find it in newsagents and selected supermarkets. Or you can subscribe here to get an issue delivered to your door!
