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Nitraria retusa
Nitraria retusa, the nitre bush or salt tree, is a salt- and drought-tolerant desert shrub that can reach about 2.5 m but usually stays near 1 m. It grows in sandy or saline soils and needs full sun and very good drainage.
Nitraria retusa, commonly known as nitre bush, is a salt-tolerant and drought-resistant shrub in the family Nitrariaceae. It can grow to heights of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in), although it rarely exceeds more than 1 m in height. It produces white/green coloured flowers and small red fruit.
The plant is native to desert areas of northern Africa, where it grows in primary succession on barren sand dunes. It also grows in areas with high salinity such as salt marshes.
This plant is native to North and East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. It typically grows in salt marshes and semi-arid saline areas of deserts and it can help in the stabilisation of loose soils. It grows in primary succession on barren sand dunes.
The fruit turns red as it ripens and is enjoyed by humans. Camels and goats feed on the succulent leaves of this plant and desert-dwellers have used it as a source of salt. The wood is used for fuel and the fruits are sometimes used to make an intoxicating drink.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nitraria retusa 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.
