Common Name: Mealy Saltbush

General Information

Chenopodium parabolicum is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 3 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australia - All mainland States

Habitat

Found in poor soils of the semi-arid zone and inr areas of higher rainfall.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Chenopodium parabolicum is a plant of semi-arid regions in the warm temperate and subtropical regions of Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 900 metres. It grows in areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 850mm. It can tolerate occasional light frosts down to around -5°c[].
Requires a sunny position and a well-drained soil. Found wild in soils with a pH lower than 6.5[]. Tolerant of maritime winds and of slight to moderately saline soil conditions[].
Plants seldom live longer than 15 years[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked. A salty flavour, the leaves contain up to a third by weight of salt[]. The salt can be removed by briefly boiling the leaves in a couple of changes of water[]. The leaves are tender and palatable after 1 hours boiling[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week, prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts.