Mediterranean saltbush

Mediterranean saltbush: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, rounded shrub about 2 m high and wide, with many branched grey twigs. Fast growing.

Leaves

Oval to diamond-shaped, 2–5 cm, slightly fleshy and leathery; silver-grey on both sides thanks to fine scales. Evergreen, though some drop in a severe winter.

Flowers

Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers in panicles at the shoot tips in late summer. They are wind-pollinated and not ornamental.

Fruit

Small seeds, each enclosed between two flat, rounded bracts.

Roots

Deep and well branched, so it copes well with drought and helps hold sandy soil.

Plants: April–May · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• The silver-grey foliage gives colour and light to the garden all year, winter included.
• Tolerates sea wind and salt spray: ideal as a windbreak or hedge by the coast.
• Very drought tolerant: once established it hardly ever needs watering.
• Happy in poor sandy, loamy or chalky soil, where many other shrubs struggle.
• Grows quickly and is easy to clip into a formal or informal hedge.
• A calm, silvery backdrop for blue and purple flowers such as lavender.

Mediterranean saltbush: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade it becomes open and loses its silver colour.
• Poor, free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. On heavy clay only if water drains away well.
• Dry: it dislikes wet feet in winter.
• Excellent in full wind and salty sea air; inland, preferably a sheltered spot such as in front of a south-facing wall.
• Allow 1.5–2 m for a free-standing shrub; in a hedge, 60–80 cm between plants.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry

Size

2 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -12 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Sea buckthorn: Another silvery, salt- and wind-tolerant shrub: together they make a sturdy windbreak.
• Lavender: Fragrant purple flowers that stand out beautifully against the silver-grey leaves.
• Sea holly: Steel-blue, spiny flower heads for the same dry, sunny soil.
• Tamarisk: Airy pink plumes in a coastal garden; it tolerates the same wind and salt.
• Blue oat grass: A blue-grey ornamental grass that echoes the silver tones.

Mediterranean saltbush: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May so the young plant is well established before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball; mix heavy soil with coarse sand or fine gravel.
3. Do not add manure or fresh compost: in rich soil it grows soft and less silvery.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
5. Water generously at planting and during long dry spells in the first summer.
6. Mulch with gravel or shells if you like: it keeps the base dry and suits a coastal garden.

Care

Water

Only in dry spells during the first year. After that it fends for itself, even in hot summers.

Feeding

Not needed. Fertiliser makes the shoots soft and more prone to frost damage.

Clipping

Clip a hedge once a year, in April (see Pruning).

Renovation

If an old shrub becomes bare at the base, cut it back hard in April; it usually regrows readily.

In a pot

Can be grown in a large pot of free-draining compost, for example on a sunny seaside terrace. Water regularly in summer.

Tip: Use it as the outer row of a seaside windbreak: in its shelter, more delicate plants do far better. Plant in spring, not in autumn.

Mediterranean saltbush: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: In April, once the worst frosts are over and you can see which shoots have been frosted.

How:

• Clip a hedge to shape, keeping the base slightly wider than the top so the lower part gets enough light.
• On a free-standing shrub, shorten overlong or wayward shoots to just above a side shoot.
• Remove frosted, brown shoot tips back to healthy wood.
• An old, bare shrub can be cut back by a third to a half; it usually regrows well.

Caution: Do not prune in late summer or autumn: the young shoots that follow will be killed by frost in winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August: 10 cm cuttings from this year’s shoots, lower leaves removed, in a mix of sand and compost. They root easily. Overwinter them frost-free and plant out the following spring.

Seed

Sow in spring in a tray of sandy compost, barely covered. Keep the seedlings frost-free in their first winter.

Mediterranean saltbush: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −12 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Hardy to about −12 °C: usually fine on the coast and in towns; inland it may be cut back by frost in a severe winter.
• Wait until April before removing frosted shoots; the shrub usually reshoots from older wood.
• Protect young plants in their first winter with fleece during hard frost and cold easterly winds.
• In a pot: keep it dry and sheltered against a wall and wrap the pot in hessian or bubble wrap.

Diseases and pests

• Frost damage: Brown, withered shoots after a hard winter. Wait until April and cut back to healthy wood.
• Root rot: The plant wilts and dies back in wet, heavy soil. Move it to a drier, free-draining spot or plant on a slight mound.
• Soft, sparse growth: A sign of too much shade or overly rich soil. Give it a sunny spot, stop feeding and prune in April.
• Aphids: Sometimes on young shoot tips in spring. Natural predators usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off with a strong jet of water.

Through the year

• March: Hold off pruning. In mild weather, remove winter protection from young plants.
• April: Prune and clip. Remove frosted shoots. Plant.
• May: Plant. Water young plants in dry weather.
• June: The silver-grey foliage is at its best. Water young plants only.
• July: Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• August: Take cuttings. No more pruning.
• November: Protect young plants and pots against hard frost.
• December: Dormant. The silver leaves brighten the winter garden.

Did you know?

• The silver colour comes from a layer of tiny bladder hairs in which the plant stores excess salt; as they dry out, they form shiny scales.
• The species name halimus comes from a Greek word meaning ‘of the sea’, a reference to its coastal habitats.
• In dry parts of North Africa and the Middle East it is an important fodder plant for sheep and goats.