Shadscale

Atriplex confertifolia

Spine-tipped evergreen to deciduous halophytic shrub up to 3 ft. tall with yellow or nondescript dioecious flowers, blooming March to October. Adapted to a wide variety of soil types, preferring well-drained soils and indicating subsoil salinity; 1,500 to 8,000 ft. elevation. Inhabits both Warm and cold deserts, often found in large, pure stands within the lowest and most arid salt desert shrub communities within the Great Basin and Mohave Desert. Highly palatable to browsing livestock and wildlife, especially valuable during winter. Spiny branches limit utilization. Excellent cover and food for reptiles and small mammals including black-tailed jackrabbits, a major food source of golden eagles. Leaves feed numerous insects.