Atriplex saccaria
| Atriplex saccaria | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Atriplex saccaria (common name: sack saltbush)
Propagation: Seed - sow April/May in situ[1]. Germination is usually rapid.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it should be possible to grow it as a spring-sown annual. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Requires a position in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[2]. Tolerates saline and very alkaline soils[2].
Although normally monoecious, plants are sometimes dioecious.
Range: South-western N. America
Habitat: 1300 - 1800 metres in Arizona.
Edibility: Leaves and young plants - cooked[3][4] and used as greens[5][6]. A salty flavour.
Seed - cooked. Used in piñole or ground into a meal and used as a thickener in making bread or mixed with flour in making bread.
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: No member of this genus contains any toxins, all have more or less edible leaves. However, if grown with artificial fertilizers, they may concentrate harmful amounts of nitrates in their leaves.
Links
References
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Whiting, Alfred. Ethnobotany of the Hopi. North Arizona Society of Science and Art, 1939.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.