How to Grow and Care for Tamarisks

French tamarisk (Tamarix gallica) is a deciduous shrub that will grow to 4 m tall. It blooms in summer with pinkish-purple flowers that attract bees and other pollinators. Thrives in full sun and prefers dry or moist well-drained soil. It is native to Europe and has naturalized in regions in the United States. It can be invasive.

Tamarisk is a hardy shrub or small tree with feathery leaves and plumes of showy flowers. It is easy to grow and works well as a hedge or windshield. Its tamarisk, refers to its ability to tolerate salt water. The shrub uses special glands to excrete the salt through its leaves.

The athel tamarisk (*Tamarix aphylla*) is an ornamental tree native to Africa and the Middle East, but it is commonly found growing in the southwestern United States. Its fine-grained wood is used for fuel, and it produces a fragrant scent when burned. The light-colored wood has been used in making furniture and fence posts. It is an excellent shade tree and very fast-growing. It is salt-tolerant and drought-resistant.

Smallflower tamarisk (Tamarix parviflora) is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 4.5 m tall. The gray-green foliage is scale-like and changes color in fall. Flowers are small and white appearing in spring. It is considered invasive as it chokes out native trees and affects the ecological balance.

Five-stamen tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) is a deciduous shrub native to China and Korea. It is considered a noxious invasive plant in many areas of the United States. It grows fast and is highly adaptive to a variety of environments. It depletes the moisture and nutrients in the soil harming native plants growing in the same area. Produces pinkish-white flowers from spring to fall.