Saltbush

How to choose a saltbush

For ground cover and banks, Aussie Flat Bush stays around 40cm tall and spreads to 1.5m, a dense silver grey mat that smothers weeds. Silver Border is the mid height form, about 80cm, for a low clipped hedge along a path or a driveway. Aussie Hedge Bush grows to 1.5m for a boundary hedge or windbreak, and Grey Edge is a compact 1m form with a slightly bluer leaf. All four have the same small grey leaves, tiny flowers and red berries that birds take.

The trade-off is only height against purpose: the lower forms cover ground, the taller forms screen, and all of them clip into shape.

Where saltbush works

Saltbush grows across Australia in full sun, in sand, clay or gravel, on the coast in direct salt spray and inland in frost to minus 7 degrees. It is the plant for a bank that erodes, a nature strip that never gets watered, a coastal fence line or the gaps in a windbreak. It copes with reflected heat from paving and walls. The one thing it will not take is permanently wet ground. Pair it with the other coastal and salt tolerant plants on a beach block, or with the drought tolerant plants in a dry inland garden.

Planting and spacing

Plant Aussie Flat Bush 1m apart for a carpet that closes in a year. For a hedge, space Silver Border 60cm apart and Aussie Hedge Bush or Grey Edge 80cm apart. Dig a hole twice the width of the pot, plant level with the soil, water in and mulch with gravel or coarse mulch. No compost or fertiliser is needed in most soils; saltbush prefers it lean.

Care basics

Water weekly for the first two months, then fortnightly through the first summer; after that rain is enough in most districts. Clip hedges and ground covers once or twice a year, in late winter and late summer, to keep them dense; saltbush takes hard pruning and regrows from old wood. There are no pests of note. If a plant gets woody and open after several years, cut it back by half in spring. Saltbush is one of the easiest plants in the Australian native shrubs range, and our coastal plants guide shows how to use it with grasses and groundcovers on a windy site.

Common questions

Is saltbush frost tolerant?

Yes. Rhagodia spinescens takes frost to about minus 7 degrees, as well as salt, drought and heat.

How fast does saltbush grow?

Fast. Aussie Flat Bush covers 1m in its first year, and the hedging forms reach their height in two years from 140mm pots.

Can saltbush be clipped as a hedge?

Yes. Silver Border and Aussie Hedge Bush are grown for exactly that and take a tight formal clip.

Is saltbush good for erosion control?

Very. Its spreading roots and dense foliage hold banks and cuttings together, which is why councils and road crews use it.