Saltcedar
(Tamarix ramosissima and T.
chinensis )
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Saltcedars, also called tamarisk, are deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees reaching 5 to 20 feet in height. Stems are highly branched (ramosissima means many-branched) with smooth, dark brown to reddish-brown bark. Small leaves on green stems are alternate, overlap each other and appear scale-like (similar to a cedar tree). Foliage is salty to the taste. Flowers, borne in finger-like clusters on terminal and lateral branches, are small, pink to white and have five petals. Saltcedars are native to Eurasian, where they are an ornamental. They are now widespread in the United States, predominately along waterways in the western states. |
