Zoöp Observations: Spear SaltbushZoöp Observations: Spear Saltbush

Without a doubt, the most succesful plant species in The New Garden of 2022 is the spear saltbush (Atriplex patula). This grey-green annual thrives in sandy and nitrogen-rich soil, as a true pioneer plant does. It's no wonder the plant is most abundant where The New Garden was redesigned and overhauled in 2021-2022. The branches of the spear saltbush broadly stretch outwards from the stem, so the plant quickly takes on a shrub-like appearance. Its leaves vary in shape, from skewer-shaped with strong side lobes at the bottom, to lanceolate without any side lobes at the top of the plant. The inflorescence is that of a thyrse, with flowers blooming in clusters. These flowers, male and female, look disappointingly small and inconspicuous.

To curb the dominance of spear saltbush, it is important to remove them before they seed: spear saltbush produce a lot of seeds, which stay viable for up to six years. Over time most pioneer plants are eventually pushed out by more specialized vegetation, but not every gardener has the patience to wait for that to happen. Moreover, the attractiveness of The New Garden for visitors has to be kept in mind. That's why I've spent the last two weeks weeding a lot of spear saltbush. We’ll see how this works out next year.

While most gardeners are happy to weed spear saltbush, a closely related species of the same plant family is instead a true favourite of gardeners. With its dark red leaves, garden orache (Atriplex hortensis) can provide a beautiful color accent in predominantly green gardens. Those leaves also taste good, somewhat like spinach, making this plant a welcome addition to vegetable gardens.