Weed of the Week
July 31st 2006
Tamarisk (or Salt Cedar): Tamarix ramosisssima Ledeb. and T. parviflora DC.
Characteristics:
Family: Tamaricaceae (Tamarisk Family)
Origin: Eurasia
Description:
- Shrubs or small trees, up to 20 feet in height
- Bark is reddish-brown, or purplish brown in T. parviflora
- Reproduces by seeds
- Leaves are small, and are similar to cedar leaves, but much finer, scale-like
- Each fall, leaves (where salts concentrate are shed. Years of leaf litter pile up and cause the soil to become heavily saline, other plants cannot grown in these conditions unless major soil conditioning is done prior to re-vegetation
Flowers:
- 5 petalled flowers, 4 petalled in T. parviflora
- Flowers are bright pink and are very showy
- Bloom occurs June-August
- Seeds are spread by wind and water, and prefer riparian habitats
Discussion:
Tamarisk has been placed as a B-List noxious weed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. It is illegal to purchase or plant these two Tamarisk species. Once used as an ornamental shrub in landscaping, it can easily escape into riparian zones. Seeds are carried by wind or by runoff into ditches, where it crowds out native species. One mature shrub rooted near a water source can consume up to 200 gallons of water a day. Many western rivers are lined by solid stands of Tamarisk, while millions of gallons of water that could be used for production of food or for drinking water is lost each year. Millions of dollars are being spent yearly to combat Tamarisk. Please encourage homeowners who have Tamarisk in their landscapes to remove this weed.
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