Description:

SALTCEDAR — Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.

Tamaricaceae — (Tamarisk family)

Deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees, five to twenty feet tall. Bark on saplings and smooth woody stems are dark brown to reddish-brown. Leaves are small and scale like, on highly-branched slender green stems. Flowers are pink to white, five-petalled and borne in fingerlike clusters.

Saltcedar, also called tamarisk, was introduced from Eurasia and is now widespread in the United States. Small flower tamarisk (T. parviflora DC.) is similar in appearance, but has four-petalled flowers, with brown to deep purple bark on stems. Small flower tamarisk was introduced from Southern Europe, and is also widespread. Both species are used as ornamentals, but have escaped and become naturalized along streams, canals and reservoirs in much of the West.

Growth Habit: Evergreen shrub or small tree, up to 30` tall, spread by seed.

Leaves: Small scale like, resemble cedars, salty residue collects on foliage.

Stem: Numerous, slender, upright and highly branched, smooth reddish brown bark, become furrowed and ridged with age.

Flower: Pink to white, 5-petaled.

Roots: Extensive, crown to about 18 inches deep.

Seeds: 500,000 seeds, small, easily dispersed by wind.

Other: Dependent on ground water, areas become dryer with long term occupation. A single plant can use up to 200 gallons of water per day.

(Courtesy of Weeds of the West)

Control Strategies:

Salt Cedar can be controlled with two herbicides Arsenal and Garlon. Arsenal is used on green growing plants as a foliar spray, and as a cut stump treatment. Read the label carefully to get the right mix. If you over apply you will kill a lot of stuff as Arsenal is not very selective. The active ingredient in Arsenal is also sold as Stalker for cut stump application and Habitat for use in aquatic environments. Garlon, also sold as Remedy in the rangeland market, is not very effective as a foliar treatment, but it works very well as a basal bark and cut stump treatment. Mix the Garlon with diesel fuel or bark oil at a one to three ration and just spray the bottom 18 inches of the stems. Obviously, if you are trying to control thousands of acres of this plant you will need a helicopter. But the most effective approach is the control of single isolated plants before they dominate the entire ecosystem. Garlon or Arsenal in a backpack sprayer will protect thousands of acres from invasion at low cost.

To learn about biological control agents for Saltcedar visit this link.