Salt of the Earth

Atriplex canescens

Since there are no cattle roaming the neighborhood, this plant has survived several winters, and morphs into a new sculptural form with every season.  Four-winged Saltbush (a.k.a. saltsage, wafer sagebrush, buckwheat shrub, chamiza) is valued as a forage plant.  For us suburbanites, it lends structure to the dryland garden in winter.  I wonder if I will like it as much once it reaches its estimated height and width of five feet...