Mother Nature recently showed off her eye for beauty when saltliving sagebrush colored the Tiaozini mudflats in Jiangsu Province's Yancheng city a magnificent "red," giving the impression of a lush natural carpet.

The Artemisia halodendron or saltliving sagebrush is primarily found in China, Russia and Mongolia.  Suited to extreme living conditions, such as arid or excessively salty earth, the saltliving sagebrush has been cultivated in desert and semi-desert areas to counteract desertification. 

The saltliving sagebrush in Tiaozini lives in an alkaline environment, where the soil, often clay, has such a high pH that few plants can survive. 

When autumn comes, the sagebrush turns red, dressing the surroundings in a magnificent red.

(All images via VCG)

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