by Juliet Bodycomb

This article marks the third installation of our series, Know Your Park Lands Plants, where we introduce you to some of the myriad species that populate your Adelaide Park Lands.

Today, we turn to a plant found creeping along the soils of your Open Green Public Park Lands.

A perennial herb, native to South Australia, as well as regions of Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales, it’s the berry saltbush!

Atriplex semibaccata, also known as the berry saltbush, the Australian saltbush, or the creeping saltbush, is a species of flowering plant that can be found in G. S. Kingston Park / Wirrarninthi (Park 23) and Golden Wattle Park / Mirnu Wirra (Park 21 West), among others.

It is a mat-forming shrub which grows 40-60cm tall, and 1.5-2m wide, comprised of thin, decumbent branches which, stemming from a woody taproot, bear grey-green leaves which are tapered at the base and obtuse at the tip. The plant’s thick foliage provides nesting and shelter to many insects, lizards, frogs, and small birds.

The berry saltbush flowers and fruits in spring, propagating from seed when the ripe, red fruits split open. Its succulent fruits are diamond-like shaped and reach a length of 4-6mm.

These fruits are attractive to many small ground feeding birds, such as the superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), which are often found picking through the foliage.

Another common saltbush found in your Park Lands is the “sprawling” or “lagoon saltbush” (Atriplex suberecta).

One way to distinguish between the two is by their leaves; while the berry saltbush bears short, oblong leaves, those of the sprawling saltbush are ovular to diamond shaped.

As you may observe in the images below, the sprawling saltbush’s leaves are also more aggressively toothed.

Want to know more about the plants in your Park Lands? Head over to iNaturalist, where you can record, share, and discuss your findings with fellow naturalists.

There is an iNaturalist page which can show you exactly where citizen scientists (like you!) have observed berry saltbush (Atriplex semibaccata).

See the other plants featured in this series here:

https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/know-your-park-lands-plants

Banner image on this page: Forest and Kim Starr (feedipedia.org)