Tasty saltbush
Story and photos: Russ Grayson
“THIS is a useful plant,” I remarked as Jo bent down to look at the silvery-grey foliage. Being a woman knowledgable about nature and plants — she is a permaculture educator and Tasmanian coordinator of the national organisation, Community Gardens Australia — she already knew about saltbush and could have taught me a thing or two, like how she prepares it.
“I dry the leaves then grind them to use as a salt substitute”, Jo explained.
“I think you can eat them raw.” That was Fiona, Community Gardens Australia’s website manager, as she plucked a leaf and bit off a small portion. “Very salty.”
We were taking a morning walk along the Dodges Ferry foreshore on the southeast coast of Tasmania and, as we do, checking out the wild harvest. We earlier came across a whip snake on the edge of the saltwater where it laps against the sandy beach. One of three Tasmanian snake species, all of which are venomous, Jo said it was unusual to find it in the water.
Saltbush
Common name
Saltbush
Botanic name
Family — Amaranthaceae
Genus — Atriplex
Species — 52 species in Australia.
Centre of diversity
- Australia and other countries.
Natural habitat
- coastal ecosystems
- dry inland Australia and overseas.
Growth form
- perennial shrub 3m high to around 5m wide
- lanceolate leaves grey-green in colour
- small grey-yellow flowers.
Useful part
- leaf
Uses
Food:
- salt substitute
- use in salads, stir fry to add flavour
- use as a salt substitute by drying and grinding leaves
- fry leaves as chips
- keeps in a bag in the refrigerator for about five days; dried — keeps for around three, four months in sealed container.
Other uses:
- screen plant in garden
- habitat and ecosystem restoration
- sand dune stabilisation
- sheep, cattle browse.
Reproduction, growing
- reproduce from seeds, cuttings
- tolerates sandy soil and salty sea spray
- wind tolerant.
Notes
- stores high levels of salt in the roots and leaves.
Indigenous uses, names
- known as Tjilyi-tjilyi to indigenous Australians
- seeds roasted, ground to add to traditional bush bread
- Aussie Green Thumb: ash from the burned leaves used like baking soda; leaves used to treat burns and wounds.
……
Foraging the wild harvest
Take a little, not a lot. Leave plenty for other people, for the animals that also eat the plant and for the plant itself. Better still, grow your favourite wild harvest in your garden.
