https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/July/anameka-saltbush
Tonight I was reading a news article about deforestation in Australia and the supermarkets supporting the anti deforestation movement. This made me think about the saltbush plant and its use in feeding livestock during drought conditions. Droughts are a constant problem in Australia and trying to feed livestock becomes a serious challenge.
I knew about saltbush being a plant that can help farmers feed their livestock. Going back to the days of early settlers in Australia, farmers used saltbush to help keep their livestock alive, especially when droving over long distances. This was also mentioned in poetry by Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson. I have three large volumes of his poetry and CD’s and books of poetry by Henry Lawson. Both men have written about life back in the 19th century and early 20th century in their personal stories of life in the bush and the terrible droughts of the times.
Some variants of saltbush have toxic levels in new leaves and taste bitter however there are at least 130 different varieties of saltbush. Dogs can eat salt bush but only in limited quantities. You would have to consult your vet before considering giving it to your fur babies though.
This 1934 article below mentions the medicinal properties of saltbush. This was a plant used by the indigenous peoples for multiple purposes from health care to culinary purposes. So it is a little treasure trove of goodness for man and animal.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11732191
This article mentions the farmers feeding saltbush to their stock in the 19th century (1880’s)
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/federation-drought
