Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/7/2009, 6:04 pm
75.80.191.214

I got around to taking a picture of this shrub in a nearby park--Atriplex lentiformis (known as the quail shrub). It has a very strange smell--much like urine (even though oddly, nothing on the web that I can find talks about this--perhaps the scent of this plant is only detectable by certain people). This is the case with all Atriplex lentiformis plants that I've encountered. This is native to various parts of the Southwest, including San Diego. Anyway, here's a pic--kind of an interesting silver-leafed plant (though, for the reason noted above plus the fact that it's not *that* attractive, I wouldn't want this in my yard)...

 Post a Response

Posted by Joe Saltspring Island BC on 11/7/2009, 6:17 pm, in reply to "Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
66.183.64.51

Boxwood also smells just the same, lol Southern Gulf Islands, zone 8b/9a Dry Springs & Summers months and mild wet winters.Annual precip. approx. 30" inches, Extreme winter min. temps. usually not below 20 F.

 Post a Response

Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/7/2009, 6:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
75.80.191.214

Interesting--I wasn't aware of the boxwood smell. There is stuff on the web about that (one of the leading links when googling "boxwood" and "urine" has someone saying "Cat urine is killing my boxwood!" heh heh).

 Post a Response

Posted by Mike from Niagara 6b on 11/7/2009, 8:21 pm, in reply to "Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
206.186.115.29

Mind you at least then you have the choice. Looks better than it smells... Mike

 Post a Response

Posted by Terry 6b7a NJ on 11/8/2009, 1:26 am, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
12.145.92.22

I was just about to say something like that...That maybe the shrub attracts certain wild animals to it. And as for Boxwoods, well they are highly used residentially, perfect "depositories" for domesticated animals (dogs and cats) - and they are often planted along driveways and edges of lawns. Awfully convenient for pets! Rainfall 50" per year - Elev. under 250 ft. 22 miles west of downtown Manhattan Lowland wooded swamp- Remnant glacial swamp(meltwaters)from Ice Age State Dinosaur: Hadrosaurus Foulkii(plant-eater)

 Post a Response

Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/8/2009, 2:29 am, in reply to "Glad that is not scratch and sniff..."
75.80.191.214

Yep...the Internet has yet to master the ability to communicate the senses of smell, taste and feel. Well...when the Internet masters that last sense, nothing will ever get done, since nobody will ever leave the house, heh heh!

 Post a Response

Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/8/2009, 2:34 am, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
75.80.191.214

I've questioned that myself...though a lot of native shrubs attract wild animals for one reason or another, so it shouldn't be restricted to Atriplex lentiformis. As a side note, I was walking along the San Diego River trail with my girlfriend a little after sunset today...and I noticed the smell of urine. I didn't even need my good dusk/night vision to notice those silvery leaves (I still saw them, but not until after I could smell the plants). Now...there were some bums on a few benches along the trail...hmmm...

 Post a Response

Posted by Mike from Niagara 6b on 11/8/2009, 7:38 am, in reply to "Re: Glad that is not scratch and sniff..."
206.186.115.98

OUCH! Now that is funny. Holograms will make some situations more compelling as well.... I have heard another reference to men never leaving the house if.... Double OUCH! Thanks for the

 Post a Response

Posted by Darin - Phoenix on 11/8/2009, 10:20 am, in reply to "Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
98.165.46.44

many atriplex smell like that, even canescens does a little bit, at least I notice it whenever i am home. In the right context that could be an attractive plant, it would look good with large agaves and some cactus, like Myrtillocactus geometrizans, or ocotillo Phoenix AZ - USA USDA Zone 10a, Sunset 13 January = 66.0°F/41.4°F July = 105.6°F/80.3°F Precip = 7.55" per year

 Post a Response

Posted by Allen Hirsh MD on 11/9/2009, 12:34 am, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
151.200.32.188

Actually, boxwoods are kind of interesting this way. It seems that one of the four million three hundred thousand forty two ways you can bifurcate the human race is by what boxwoods smell like. To many people they don't smell at all. To the rest, myself included, they are just an uglier version of a fire hydrant......

 Post a Response

Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/9/2009, 2:02 am, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
75.80.191.214

That doesn't surprise me that other Atriplex do that as well. It's a good park plant (very low maintenance, for one thing)--and in the right setting, it looks good.

 Post a Response

Posted by Brandt-San Diego on 11/9/2009, 2:07 am, in reply to "Re: Atriplex lentiformis--the shrub that smells like urine"
75.80.191.214

I definitely can smell "asparagus pee" (though that won't keep me from eating asparagus!). I'm not so sure about boxwoods though--they're very rare here (no loss there--though we have our fair share of boring plants (!Morus alba!) that we could do without), but in places that have boxwoods, I don't think I've smelled them before.

 Post a Response