WINTERFAT

Krascheninnikovia lanata

Goosefoot Family (Chenopodiaceae)

A plant of dry desert valleys and foothills throughout its wide range in western North America, winterfat is a great addition to a waterwise landscape. A small, erect shrub with small, slender, silver-green leaves, its main attraction is the display of shining silver-white fruits. These form in spring and persist on the plant all summer, ripening in fall. They give the plant a wonderful, luminous appearance, especially when backlit. Winterfat is a tough plant that will never require supplemental water once established. It prefers dry, well-drained soils and full sun. It combines well with other drought hardy desert shrubs like desert sage and green mormon tea, and looks great planted with ornamental grasses like desert needlegrass and Indian ricegrass. It also makes a beautiful backdrop for colorful desert perennials like Utah penstemon, gooseberryleaf globemallow, and showy sandwort.