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Atriplex littoralis - L.

Common Name Grassleaf orache
Family Amaranthaceae
USDA hardiness 4-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Seacoasts, riverside bluffs, sandy saline habitats; sometimes a weed of cultivated land[74].
Range Eurasia - Norway to Spain, east through Russia to the Russian Far East, through Ukraine to the Crimea, Greece to Syria, Lebanon and Egyptian Sinai
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Atriplex littoralis Grassleaf orache


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Atriplex littoralis Grassleaf orache
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Summary

Atriplex littoralis is an erect, annual plant with a branched stem; it can grow 25 - 75cm tall[74]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Atriplex littoralis is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.7 m (2ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The flowers are pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

A. hastata littoralis (L.) Farw. A. marina L. A. maritima Pall. A. patula littoralis (L.) A.Gray. A. salicina Pall. A. salina Siev. A. serrata Huds. A. subcordata japonica (Koidz.) Honda. A. sulcata Michx. ex Schult. Chenopodium littorale Thunb. Schizotheca littoralis Fourr.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

Leaves and unripe fruits. Leaves - cooked[74]. They are sometimes used as a vegetable[74].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Wild. Species in this genus generally succeed in full sun in any well-drained but not too fertile soil[200]. Most species in this genus tolerate saline and very alkaline soils[200]. Sometimes mentioned as a shrub or annual. In northern Europe it has flowers from July until September.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

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Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in situ[134]. Germination is usually rapid.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Grassleaf orache, Grass-leaved orache, Linear-leaved orache (orach). Grass-leaved Orache.

Native Range

Native to:Algeria, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Central European Rus, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Korea, Kuril Is., Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Northwest European R, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sakhalin, Sinai, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, West Siberia, YugoslaviaIntroduced into:Cape Provinces, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, KwaZulu-Natal, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward I., Puerto Rico, Rhode I., Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

None Known

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This species has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List.

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Atriplex argenteaSilvery Orach, Silverscale saltbush, Stalked saltbushAnnual0.5 0-0  LMNM222
Atriplex argentea expansaSilverscale SaltbushAnnual0.6 -  LMNM20 
Atriplex californicaCalifornia Orach, California saltbushPerennial0.1 7-10  LMNDM30 
Atriplex canescensGrey Sage Brush, Fourwing saltbushShrub1.8 6-9  LMNDM413
Atriplex carnosaThickleaf OrachAnnual0.9 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex confertifoliaShadscale, Shadscale saltbushShrub1.8 6-9  LMNDM410
Atriplex coronataCrownscaleAnnual0.4 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex dimorphostegia Annual0.2 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex elegansWheelscale SaltbushAnnual0.2 0-0  LMNDM200
Atriplex glabriusculaScotland orache, Maritime saltbush, Frankton's saltbush, Northeastern saltbushAnnual0.3 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex gmeliniiGmelin's saltbushAnnual0.5 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex halimusSea Orach, SaltbushShrub2.0 7-10 MLMNDM513
Atriplex hastataHastate OrachAnnual0.8 0-0  LMNDM302
Atriplex hortensisOrach, Garden oracheAnnual1.8 5-9 FLMNM423
Atriplex lapathifolia Annual0.9 -  LMNDM30 
Atriplex lentiformisQuail Bush, Big saltbush, Quailbush,Shrub3.0 7-10  LMNDM312
Atriplex maximowiczianaMaximowicz's saltbushPerennial0.8 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex mucronata Annual0.4 -  LMHNDM20 
Atriplex nummulariaGiant Saltbush, Bluegreen saltbushShrub3.5 7-10  LMNDM323
Atriplex nuttalliiNuttall's SaltbushShrub0.9 5-9  LMNDM400
Atriplex patulaSpreading Orach, Spear saltbushAnnual0.8 0-0  LMNM31 
Atriplex powelliiPowell's SaltweedAnnual1.5 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex saccariaSack SaltbushAnnual0.3 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex semibaccataAustralian Saltbush. Australian saltbush, Creeping saltbushShrub0.5 9-11 FLMHNDM203
Atriplex serenanaBractscale, Davidson's bractscaleAnnual3.0 7-10  LMNDM20 
Atriplex subcordata Annual0.5 -  LMNDM20 
Atriplex tataricaTatarian oracheAnnual1.5 0-0  LMNDM20 
Atriplex truncataWedgescale SaltbushAnnual0.9 7-10  LMNDM204

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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