Salt Cedar (Tamarix chinensis)

   
 

Salt Cedar in bloom and closeup of flowers, Big Bend region of Texas. Photographs by Gertrud Konings.

• Common English Names: Salt Cedar, Tamarisk
• Common Spanish Names: Taray de China, Tamarisco
• Scientific Name: Tamarix chinensis (TAM-uh-rix ky-NEN-sis)
• Family: Tamaricaceae (Tamarix Family)
• Geographic Range: One species or another extends from Canada to far south of the U.S. border.
• Plant Form: Shrub
• Remarks: A serious introduced pest. Inhabiting floodplains, it transpires enormous amounts of water into the atmosphere: water lost to agriculture and domestic usages. Wildlife usage is minimal. With little in the way of natural enemies, it has proven impossible to control.

Last Update: 31 May 2003