Shadscale Saltbush

Shadscale Saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia) is the definitive Great Basin native, perfectly engineered for Utah's toughest, driest, and saltiest soils. This densely branched shrub is the foundation of many high-desert ecological communities, providing year-round structure and critical winter forage for wildlife. Its unique, silvery-gray foliage, which appears like "cornflakes on a stick," shimmers under the intense sun, a natural defense against the heat and drought it so readily tolerates. Though its flowers are modest, its tenacious survival and ecological value make it an invaluable evergreen addition to any xeric landscape, particularly on sunny slopes or difficult alkaline sites where other shrubs simply fail.