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Dillonbush

Nitraria billardierei

Also called Nitre Bush

Dillonbush
Photo: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Dillonbush is a low, broad perennial shrub native to Australia, often found in salty or disturbed ground. It is valued for its salt tolerance and edible fruit, and it suits dry, saline, or poor soils.

Family
Nitrariaceae (Nitrari family)
Grows as
Shrub, Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly once established; it tolerates drought and salt better than waterlogging.
Soil
Well-drained sandy, loam, or saline soils; tolerates heavy clay and alkaline conditions.
Temperature
Tolerates hot, dry Australian conditions; frost hardiness varies, protect young plants from hard frost.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Australia

About

Nitraria billardierei, commonly known as nitre bush or dillon bush, is a perennial shrub native to Australia. It is often found in saline areas or other areas which have been disturbed. This species produces flowers predominantly in spring, with small ovoid or oblong fruit (drupe) that are purple, red or golden. The fruit are edible, said to taste like salty grapes. They were eaten, sometimes whole, including the stone, by indigenous Australians such as the Wemba-Wemba. The English name "dillon" is from Wemba Wemba dilanj. Fruit can also be made into jam or dried and stored.

It is a broad and low shrub, up to 2 metres (7 ft) high and 4 m wide.

Other Nitraria plants

Salt Tree · Nitraria schoberi

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nitraria billardierei 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.

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