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Atriplex patula
Also called Common orache, Spear orach, Spreading orach, Spreading orache, Spear Orache, Spear Scale, Fat Hen Saltbush
Spear saltbush (Atriplex patula) is a fast-growing annual weed of the amaranth and beet family, found across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is grown mainly as an edible wild green or for salt-tolerant soil, and it thrives in open, disturbed ground with moisture.
Atriplex patula (spear saltbush; common orache; spear orach; spreading orach; ) is a ruderal, circumboreal species of annual herbaceous plant in the genus Atriplex naturalized in many temperate regions.
The species has a wide range, including semi-arid deserts and coastal areas in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. It commonly grows along roads and waste sites.
The young leaves and shoots are edible raw or cooked and suffice as a spinach substitute, but are bland on their own.
Tubercled saltbush · Swamp Saltbush · Fan Saltbush · Silverscale saltbush · Native Orache · Atriplex billardierei · Silver saltbush · Fourwing saltbush · Gray saltbush · Flat-topped saltbush · Shadscale saltbush · Heartscale
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Atriplex patula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
