Ruby Saltbush Prostrate Form Poor Soils Bush Tucker

Ruby Saltbush, Barrier Saltbush

Enchylaena tomentosa

(Prostrate Form)

(This plant is not on the Australian Noxious Weed List.)

A native of all of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and West Australia with the exceptions of Cape York, northernmost Northern Territory, the coastal strip from Brisbane to Melbourne, Cape Leeuwin in West Australia and all of Tasmania.

Ruby Saltbush has a wide climatic, soil and topographic tolerance. Full sunlight encourages the best growth and the variation in fruit colour adds to this plants ornamental value.

This plant is a sub-shrub (a low growing, semi-woody plant) with prostrate branches that rarely reach 20cm in height. An evergreen with cylindrical, semi-succulent leaves covered in white hairs which gives the plant a greyish-green colour and are the method the plant uses to conserve moisture loss.

The flowers are insignificant and occur in spring/early summer and again in autumn. The flowers are followed by showy, small fruits 5mm across which turn red when ripe. The plant bears fruit in the green, yellow and red stages of ripening at the one time.

It has been recorded as growing in salt marshes in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate climates, coastal sand dunes facing the Southern Ocean, riverine clays and deep siliceous sandy soils of semi-arid regions. It is needless to say it is drought and frost tolerant.

The Aboriginal people relished the sweet and succulent berries while the early Australian settlers used the leaves as a green vegetable because they are high in vitamin C.

Offered is a packet of 25 seeds and Grownotes to assist you to cultivate this unusual plant.

All my seed is posted in bubble wrap protection. 

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