Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Atriplex halimus

Other names

Tree Purslane, Mediterranean Saltbush, Sea Orache, Silvery Orache

Family

Amaranthaceae

Flowering season

August to October

English distribution

It is thinly scattered along the coast from Suffolk to the

west of Cornwall and the Scillies. Isolated plants have been

mapped in Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Bristol and North Devon.

See the BSBI distribution map for Shrubby Orache

Habitat

It is a neophyte which has been grown in the UK since the

1640s and known in the wild since the the early 1900s.

It is planted as a windbreak near the sea and has become

naturalised.

Description

Shrubby Orache is a silver grey, much branched,

erect shrub growing up to 3m.

At the site in Abbotsbury, where these pictures were taken,

I have only seen male flowers. They are in terminal and

lateral spikes and have a small pink perianth and 5

stamens. The filaments are white and the anthers yellow.

Bracts are oval and silver-grey.

I have not seen the female flowers or the triangular fruits.

Leaves are ovate to obling and silver grey.

Stems are pink and grey.

Spread is limited and vegetative in the UK.