Laserfiche WebLink
PCA Alien Plant Working Group - Saltcedar (Tamarix aphylla; chinensis; gallica; parviflora; ramosissima) Page 1 of 5 <br />Sxttcac?ar <br />Tamarix aphylla, T. chinensis, T. gallica, <br />T. parviflora, and T. ramosissima <br />Tamarisk family (Tamadcaceae) <br />NATIVE RANGE: Eurasia and Africa <br />DESCRIPTION: Most saltcedars, or tamarisks, are <br />deciduous shrubs or small trees growing to 12 -15 <br />feet in height and forming dense thickets. Tamarix <br />aphylla is an evergreen tree that can grow to 50 feet <br />tall and tends to flower during the winter. Saltcedars <br />are characterized by slender branches and gray- <br />green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth <br />and reddish-brown. As the plants age, the bark <br />becomes brownish-purple, ridged and furrowed. <br />Leaves are scale-like, about 1/16 inch long and <br />overlap each other along the stem. They are often <br />encrusted with salt secretions. From March to <br />September, large numbers of pink to white flowers <br />appear in dense masses on 2-inch long spikes at branch tips. <br />ECOLOGICAL THREAT: Saltcedars are fire-adapted species and have long tap roots that allow <br />them to intercept deep water tables and interfere with natural aquatic systems. Saltcedar disrupts <br />the structure and stability of native plant communities and degrades native wildlife habitat by <br />outcompeting and replacing native plant species, monopolizing limited sources of moisture, and <br />increasing the frequency, intensity and effect of fires and floods. Although it provides some shelter, <br />the foliage and flowers of saltcedar provide little food value for native wildlife species that depend <br />on nutrient-rich native plant resources. <br />http://,vAw%,.nps.gov/plants/allen/fact/tamal.htm 6/6/2005