Atriplex confertifolia, the shadscale or spiny saltbush,[3] is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Amaranthaceae, which is native to the western United States and northern Mexico.

Shadscale fruits and leaves provide important winter browse for domestic livestock and native herbivores.

Shadscale is a common, often dominant, shrub in the lowest and driest areas of the Great Basin.

It prefers sandy, well-drained soils and it is tolerant of moderately saline conditions.

Its habitats include alkaline desert valleys, hillsides, and bluffs.