Adaptations of Four-Wing Saltbush Plants

Genetic Plasticity

• The fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) is a genetically diverse shrub that quickly evolves in response to changing conditions. Its flexibility allowed it to spread from Mexico, where it originated, to Canada, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It evolves through a variety of means, including introducing its DNA into the gene pools of other species, fast mutations and hybridization. A, canescens subspecies evolved a range of physical characteristics. Some in South Dakota grow only a foot tall, while others in Colorado reach heights of 10 feet or more.

Soil

• Fourwing saltbush plants adapted a tolerance to salty and alkaline soils, according to Montana State University Extension. The plants adapted especially for silt to clay soil with marginally high pH. They also grow in sandy soil and thrive with a lot of lime, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fourwing saltbushes are found in soil from 10 inches to more than 3 feet deep.

Climate

• The species survives cold and drought but flooding harms it. Fourwing saltbush feature ecotypes that are drought hardy, more so to the South than the north, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The plants’ cold hardiness also varies by subspecies. Some live in areas where the mercury plunges to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In other locales, the plants seldom endure frost.

Habitat

• The fourwing saltbush’s habitats include mesas, slopes, sand dunes, grasslands, chalk bluffs and desert flats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The species grow at altitudes between 3,000 and 8,000 feet, typically in the 4,500- to 6,000-foot range. The plants are found in regions such as the Intermountain West, Great Plains and Southwest deserts, according to the U.S. Forest Service. They frequently dominate plant communities in areas such as the Mojave and Sonoran deserts where they grow in alkali sinks and salt scrub areas.