Saltcedar
Tamarix ramosissima
Washington State Classification
Class B — Control Required (Designated)
It is an aggressive colonizer that is able to adapt to a variety of habitats.
Required control in Region 1 (all western Washington counties)
Quick Reference
Identification
Growth Habit
Saltcedar is a spreading shrub or small tree reaching 5 to 20 feet tall.
Leaves
Leaves are small, alternate and scale-like.
Flowers
Flowers are pale pink to white, small and arranged in spike like racemes. Distinct petals and sepals occur in fours or fives.
Fruit & Seeds
Saltcedar forms dry capsules that contain many seeds.
Impact
It is an aggressive colonizer that is able to adapt to a variety of habitats. It forms monotypic stands and secretes salt that forms a crust above and below ground that inhibits survival of other plants. It absorbs an enormous amount of water.
Ecology & Spread
Habitat
Saltcedar can adapt to a variety of habitats. It is commonly found in moist soils and areas that are seasonally saturated at the surface. Please click here to see a county level distribution map of saltcedar in Washington.
Spread Mechanisms
Reproduction
Saltcedar spreads by seed and also re sprouts vigorously from roots if the top portion of the plant is damaged or removed. It can also readily establish from cuttings when buried in moist soil.
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Control Methods
Mechanical
- Because of saltcedar's ability to resprout from roots, many mechanical methods are largely unsuccessful. Root plowing is possible if plowed 13.8 inches to 23.6 inches deep with a cutting blade equipped with fins to pull up roots and buried stems, but this method also destroys other vegetation as well.
Biological Control
- The saltcedar leaf beetle Diorhabda elongata adults and larvae feed on saltcedar foliage. Currently this beetle is not available in Washington. For more information about biological control of saltcedar, please visit the WSU Extension Integrated Weed Control Project.