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Creeping Saltbush Rhagodia Spinescens Seeds
Packet of 50+ waxy red coated home grown seeds!
Sometimes sold under the name Chenopodium spinescens or Rhagodia deltophylla, or the other common name Spiny Saltbush.
When I bought it back in the day it was based on the fact it was a bush tucker and the sellers description of the fruit which was “pleasantly sweet and refreshing”.
I will tell you now that while I happily eat pretty much anything, seriously.
I don’t eat the fruit of these guys, at all, ever…
My personal description of the fruits taste is bland, yet somehow bitter and drying on the palate, followed shortly after by a burning sensation that lasts far longer that would ever be necessary.
The actual fruit are not a food crop in my personal opinion(but do keep reading)…
After that disappointing experience I planted them out in the exile patch and promptly forgot about them.
They thrived there happily for years despite my scorn, living through some seriously dry times and a couple major floodings too, never once getting a water or TLC of any sort.
It is only a couple years ago that I decided to have another crack at them.
Not the fruit mind you, bugger that, this time it was the dried leaf we began experimenting with and I have to say, it does make a very tasty spice or herb crop.
I use it dried and rubbed into roasted meats, added to gravy, sprinkled on fish and root vegetables before baking, it’s really really good eaten like that.
Like a milder mixed herbs or rosemary based blend.
This species is super hardy and looks good pruned as a small hedge, or even just left to do its own thing like we do.
Salt tolerant, fire retardant, frost and freeze tolerant down to -5c the internet tells me, and very drought and flood proof too in my own experience.
Grows easily from seeds but it is important to soak them over night, then rub the fruit skins off with your fingers before planting if you are in a hurry.
If you are not in any hurry then just planted as is whole the fruit will break down in the soil and they normally pop for me the next time it rains. 4-8weeks generally.
Cuttings strike easily so it’s a prime candidate for hedging and though it does have spurs, they are not sharp or spiky.
You don’t need gloves to handle them or anything fancy like that, just treat them like any other plant.
Beautiful pink and red flower, crimson fruit, blue-grey shiny succulent leaves, and ideal for providing habitat for the critters.
The finches and willy wagtails love nesting in ours.
So while not a fruit crop, as a leaf bearing herb, erosion preventing, habitat providing, native revegetation species, they really do make a great choice.
But yeah, but definitely don’t bother with the fruit…
Grown by me and the Mrs organically, no chems, no nasties, no problems!!!
