Tamarix ramosissima (Tamarisk)

Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.

Tamarisk, tamarix, saltcedar

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Caryophyllidae	Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order	Caryophyllales	Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family	Tamaricaceae	From Latin tamarix, possibly associated with Tamarici, a people of the Atlantic Coast of Spain
Genus	Tamarix	The Latin name for this plant derived from the Tamaris River in Spain
Species	ramosissima	Very branched

About plant names...

Saltcedar is native to eastern Europe and temperate regions of Asia. It is considered a serious invasive species over much of its North American range. It prefers riverbanks and brackish soils that are well drained, and full sunlight, at elevations below 1.3 mi (2.1 km). Bushes live for up to 100 years.

Plants: This deciduous shrub is 15-20' (4.6-6.1 m) high. On young shrubs, bark is smooth and reddish. Older plants have brown and furrowed bark. Plant roots extend up to 30' (9.1 m) down to reach water tables.

Leaves: Scale-like, gray-green, leaves are ½" (1.5 cm) long × ¹/₃₂" (1 mm) wide, overlapping along branches. The foliage strongly resembles that of cedar, hence the name “saltcedar,” but the species are not related.

Flowers: Flowers appear on multiply branched linear spikes. Spikes are ¾-1¾" (2-5 cm) long. Individual flowers are pink, about ¹/₃₂" (1.5 mm) across, with 5 petals.

Fruits: Capsules are pinkish red to greenish yellow, ¹/₁₆-⅛" (3-4 mm) long, and contain numerous seeds less than ¹/₃₂" () in size.

Online References:

Tamarix ramosissima on www.columbia.edu

Tamarix ramosissima on www.invasiveplantatlas.org

Tamarix ramosissima at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Tamarix ramosissima at cabi.org’s Invasive Species Compendium

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

8/27/2014 · Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 21 cm)

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

Tamarix ramosissima description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Oct 2021.

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 10 × 7" (24 × 16 cm)

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

8/27/2014 · Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
≈ 8 × 12" (21 × 31 cm)

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

4/29/2018 · Jack Smith Park, Colorado River, Needles, California
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

Range: Zones 2-8:

About this map...