Tamarix ramosissima

Tamarix ramosissima Saltcedar
File:Tamarix ramosissima a2.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Tamaricaceae
Genus:	Tamarix
Species:	T. ramosissima
Binomial name
Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.

Tamarix ramosissima, commonly known as saltcedar or salt cedar, is a deciduous arching shrub with reddish stems, feathery, pale green foliage, and characteristic small pink flowers.

Description

Tamarix ramosissima is a hardy shrub or small tree native to Europe and Asia. It is a vigorous, deciduous shrub grown for its ornamental reddish stems, its showy plumes of flowers, and its unusual feathery leaves. Its hardiness and tolerance for poor soil make it a popular, easy to grow shrub. It can grow up to 8 m in height and up to 5 m in width. It can be used as a screen, windbreak, informal hedge or specimen shrub.

It produces upright racemes of small, pink, five-petaled flowers from late summer to early autumn which cover the new wood of the plant. It is tolerant of many soil types, but prefers a well drained, light or sandy soil in full sun. This plant is considered an invasive species in warmer climates.

Invasive species

Tamarix ramosissima is a major invasive plant species in the Southwestern United States and Desert Region of California, consuming large amounts of groundwater in riparian and oases habitats. The balance and strength of the native flora and fauna are being helped by various restoration projects, by removing tamarisk groves as if they were noxious weeds.

See also

• Introduced species
• Invasive species
• Category: Invasive plant species

Further reading

• CISR - Saltcedar Center for Invasive Species Research summary on Saltcedar.