PlantFiles: Saltcedar, Salt Cedar, Five-stamen Tamarix, Tamarisk
Tamarix ramosissima 'Summer Glow'

I ordered this plant bare root via mail order in about 1997 & it grew & bloomed the 1st year. After 2 yrs I moved & transplanted it to my new home about 2 miles away. It established beautifully & bloomed. It was next to our patio and home made pond where weeds grew like crazy. It grew quite large & bloomed every year. I was never able to propogate it by cuttings or seeds, (& I did try becaused I liked it). It was definately not invasive in my area, west. suburbs of Chicago. I have moved again & am thinking of putting another on the side of the house needing screening from the neighbors garage.

The infamous Tamarisk---bane of river systems, invader of wetlands, and increaser of soil salinity. I would not recommend planting them, as they are a pain to eradicate (which you will want to do once they take over sufficient yard space).

I love the tamarisk's lacy foliage, but it's a pest here in Utah. The entire Green and Colorado river systems have been invaded by them. They line the banks of both rivers so thickly that no native species can grow on the banks. You can't even approach the bank on foot because of the density of the tamarisks.

Furthermore, mosquitos love them. I was on a river run many years ago down the Green river, and we had to stay in the middle of the river; if we got close to shore, the skeeters got us.

However, if you have a place where you get too much water but a lot of sun, the tamarisk is the shrub for you. My sister, who lives near Boise, ID, has a problem spot where the water from the neighbor's lawn puddles on top of a hard stratum of rock not far below the surface. The puddling has killed a cherry tree and several pines, but the tamarisk is as happy as a clam at high tide.

This tree produces amazing cooling capacity when found in large stands. In Las Vegas, lining the Las Vegas Wash draining all storm water and treated wastewater to Lake Mead, this tree is common. Yes, it has taken over but in a stark barren landscape such as is found in some parts of the desert, the stands of tamarisk cedars are a welcome cool respite from the scorching heat.

My questions are: how long are these seeds viable after being borne from the tree? How can one obtain the seeds?

North Dakota has this plant listed on it's invasive/troublesome list and has put out flyers and cards with the following information:

Plant Features
Perennial, up to 30 feet tall
Evergreen/cedar-like shrub or small tree
Loses all of it's leaves in the fall
Leaves soft, scale-like, turn yellow/reddish before dropping in late fall
Bark is scaly and reddish on older plants, smooth and reddish on younger plants
Large stout taproot with a slender upright or branched trunk
Flowers abundant, white to pink, 5 petals, located on the ends of branches
Blooms May through September
Spreads by plant fragments and pepper size/like seed

Distribution:
Widespread invasive found in ornamental landscape plantings and in moist areas (waterways, shorelines, etc.)

Interesting Facts:
May transpire up to 200 gallons of water daily
Suppresses growth of other plants by excreting salt (increases soil salinity).
Roots known to reach 50 foot depths.
A single plant may produce over half-million seeds per year

Several years ago I ordered a Tamarix through the mail,
planted it out front and waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, years later, it is just now beginning to put on
a show worthy of looking at.

While it is a pretty color and produces light and airy
whispy strands to adore in the breeze, it's hardly the
show I was expecting.

Strangely enough, Tamarix is considered an invasive
species. I've waited for years for this, so I can't fathom
the invasiveness. Perhaps I am just growing a dud.

I am well aware of the reputation of this plant and invasive species. These shrubs are easy to spot and I have never seen one out of it's captivity. It is an unusual accent plant.