Atriplex
greasewood, orache, saltbush, shadscale, silverscale
14 species
4 subspecies and varieties
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Atriplex argenteasilver orache, silverscale orache
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Dry or alkaline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
var. argentea – silver saltbush, silverscale
Atriplex canescensfourwing saltbush, hoary saltbush, shadscale, wingscale
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Sand or gravel slopes and sagebrush flats, saline or not.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. canescens – hoary saltbush
Atriplex dioicathickleaf orache, saline saltbush
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but particularly common along the inner and outer marine coast; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Salt marshes, sea beaches and headlands, also inland on disturbed or saline ground;
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex gardneriGardner's saltbush
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Sagebrush-steppe desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. falcata – moundscale, gardner's saltbush, sickle saltbush, saltsage
Atriplex gmeliniiGmelin's orache, Gmelin's saltbush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: On coastal beaches, strands, and rocky outcroppings near the high tide in saline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
var. gmelinii – Gmelin's orache, Gmelin's saltbush
Atriplex heterospermaorache, Russian atriplex orache
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Riparian zones and adjacent fields; tolerant of alkaline.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex hortensisgarden orache, French spinach
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains and in scattered locations in eastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, often where seasonally moist.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex littoralisgrassleaf orache, narrow-leaved orache
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; also occurring in eastern North America.
Habitat: Coastal shoreline.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Atriplex longipeslong-stalked orache, Baltic saltbush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in northwestern Washington; southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Washington.
Habitat: Marine gravel, mudflats.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex oblongifoliaoblongleaf orache
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to Washington, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex patulahalberdleaf orache, spear orache
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic.
Habitat: Coastal and inland, saline or alkaline soil.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex prostratafat hen, hastate orache, thin-leaf orache
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, in scattered location across Canada and the U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Along the coast in saline soils, beaches, and strands; inland in alkaline soils.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex roseared orache, tumbling orache
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains; also in scattered locations in central and eastern U.S.
Habitat: Weedy species of irrigated land and roadsides.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Atriplex truncatawedge orache, wedgeleaf orache, wedgescale orache
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Alkaline soil, flats and shores.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual