ATRIPLEX nummularia

An erect spreading shrub with greyish-white thick foliage well suited to dry conditions and may be either monoecious or dioecious (single sex flowered or both male and female flowers on individual plants) Male flowers are held in clusters or long spikes up to 20cm long. Female flowers are held in the leaf axils or in terminal inflorescence.

The local indigenous people used the leaves in cooking and ground or roasted the seed for the damper.

A very adaptable plant with the ability to withstand salt and drought conditions.

Endemic to a wide range including New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.

Prefers well-drained soil in an open sunny position. Drought, frost, and salt tolerant.

Note: Due to the nature of collecting this seed each packet may contain some chaff in the form of dried leaves or small twigs, an allowance for this has been made in the seed count.

Please Note: Although many of the traditional Bush Food and Medicine plants are now commercially produced in various forms we recommend you re-search these before using them as any form of food or medicine. Some parts of the plant may not be edible or some may need to be prepared before they are safe to eat or use in any way. We do our best to describe their traditional & modern uses. It is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they are fit for their intended use.

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 18-22°C

To assist in the uptake of moisture for germination to occur seed is best soaked in warm water for 24-48 hrs prior to sowing.

A warm water soak is recommended for this species.

1. Place the seed in a container with warm water (around 25°C) and allow it to soak overnight.
2. Sow seed 2mm deep.
3. Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
6. Germination should occur in 14-28 days @ 23-25°C

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.