Nuttall saltbush is a native, perennial shrub, also called Gardeners saltbush, and is generally considered to be a warm-season plant. It is a highly-branched shrub occurring on saline, dry, sunny sites in the western United States.

Nuttall saltbush is a potentially useful species for stabilizing erosive, droughty, saline-alkaline sites.

Description

Nuttall saltbush is deep-rooted, woody at the base and growth varies considerably. Heights range from 1 to 3 feet. Flowering begins from early to late summer, and seed matures by late summer or fall.

New growth is initiated in early spring, and the leaves are essentially evergreen in locations where the plant is hardy. It is dormant during the winter even though the leaves are retained. The foliage is fairly palatable, and the nutrition is good year round.

Adaptation

Nuttall saltbush is found in the western states at elevations varying from 2,000 to 8,000 feet, and because of its relatively low moisture requirement, it is often found in areas of scanty precipitation. It prefers slightly basic, silty to clayey soils and is tolerant of salinity. Sodium salts are less damaging to this plant than to most other western grasses, forbes or shrubs. Flooding is poorly tolerated, but the shrub is drought resistant and winterhardy.

Establishment

Nuttall saltbush seed is commonly of low purity (40 to 60 percent), and germination is usually in the 20 to 30 percent range. A lengthy stratifica-tion period has been used in germination testing, and indicates that fall planting may be best. The seedlings' vigor is fair, moderately resistant to insects and diseases, and slightly tolerant to shading.

Management and Care

Nuttall saltbush can be grazed from summer through the winter. The palatability and nutrition are rated high during the green growth period. Winter protein is good and winter energy is fair. Productivity of this shrub is good. It is tolerant of grazing pressure, but careful management should be exercised to guard against abuse. On rangeland it is rated as a decreaser.

This species is frequently found in pure stands with large bare spaces of several feet between plants. Communities such as this are stable under moderate grazing, but soil erosion may be a problem during high intensity storms.

Uses

Nuttall saltbush is used all winter and spring by livestock and is fairly palatable. Forage and nutritive value are good. Intermountain area studies on winter sheep range show digestible protein at 3.4 percent, calcium 2.21 percent and phosphorus .12 percent.

Deer and antelope make substantial use of Nuttall saltbush year round, and elk feed on the shrub during fall and winter.

Small mammals make considerable use of the saltbush seeds and leaves. These include the brown and western pocket gophers, antelope ground squirrels, pocket mouse, whitetailed prairie dog (the leaves comprise 25 to 50 percent of their diet year round) and several of the western kangaroo rats utilize the seeds in the spring. Jackrabbits compose five to 10 percent of their winter diet from saltbush seeds and stems.

Seed Production

Seed matures in late summer or fall. The seed crop may be harvested by combine if the growth is cut back to 4 to 6 inches each year, smaller plots may be hand-stripped and seed may be vacuumed from the branches or from the ground to improve the recovery of total seed produced. Seed processing should include the use of a hammermill to remove utricle wings.