Chinese Tamarisk
Tamarix chinensis
NEMBA category
English: Chinese Tamarisk, Five-stamen Tamarisk, Salt Cedar, Saltcedar, Tamarisk
Historical scientific names: Tamarix juniperina, Tamarix gallica var. chinensis
Misapplied scientific names: Tamarix pentandra
Tamarix chinensis, often called Chinese Tamarisk or Saltcedar, is a deciduous shrub or small tree, renowned for its delicate, feathery appearance and abundant pink to purplish flowers.
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Origin:
Native to China and Korea.
Distinguishing features:
Feathery, often grey-green, scale-like leaves.
Masses of small, pinkish to purplish flowers.
Slender, often reddish-brown branches.
Long, narrow seed capsules.
Known for its salt-excreting glands on leaves.
Overall appearance:
This plant typically grows as a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub or small tree with a graceful, open habit. Its numerous thin branches and tiny, scale-like leaves give it a distinctive feathery or plume-like appearance.
Height:
Typically 3 to 6 metres tall, but can sometimes reach up to 12 metres in ideal conditions.
Width:
It can form dense thickets, spreading several metres wide.
Leaves:
The leaves are very small (1-3 mm long), scale-like, and pressed closely against the slender stems, overlapping like shingles. They are typically deep green, greyish-green, or bluish-green. Like other tamarisks, they possess salt glands that excrete salt, often visible as white crystals on the leaf surface. These leaves are shed in autumn.
Flowers:
The flowers are minute, typically pinkish-white to purplish-pink, with five petals. They are produced in dense, slender, spike-like clusters (racemes) that are 2-5 cm long, often grouped together in larger terminal panicles at the ends of the shoots. The flowers are hermaphroditic, containing both male and female reproductive parts in each flower, so it is not dioecious.
Flowering season:
In South Africa, flowering can occur from spring through to autumn (around September to May), often with a peak in late spring to summer. It can flower intermittently throughout the year in warmer climates.
Fruits:
The fruits are small, papery, conical capsules, about 3.5 mm long, containing numerous tiny seeds. They form in the same clusters as the flowers.
Seeds:
The seeds are minute, with a tuft of long, silky hairs (pappus) at one end, which allows for effective dispersal by wind and water. The seeds are short-lived and do not form a persistent seed bank.
Bark:
The bark on young stems is often purplish-red, dark red, or light brown. As the plant matures, the bark on the main trunk becomes darker and can be somewhat furrowed.
Thorns:
This plant does not have thorns.
Wood:
The wood is relatively soft and brittle.
Roots:
Tamarix chinensis has an extensive and deep root system, allowing it to access groundwater and thrive in arid conditions. It is a phreatophyte.
Soil type:
It is highly adaptable and can grow in a wide range of soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils, provided they are well-draining. Crucially, it has a high tolerance for saline (salty) soils, often thriving in conditions too harsh for many other plants. It also tolerates disturbed and poor soils.
Aspect:
Thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of heat and drought once established.
Edibility:
Generally not considered an edible plant. While some traditional medicinal uses are reported for young shoots, leaves, and flowers in its native range, caution is advised due to potential toxicity and the presence of alkaloids.
Toxicity:
Contains alkaloids. While generally not considered highly toxic to humans in small exposures, large ingestions could cause gastrointestinal issues. Its primary negative impact is ecological, through soil salinization and water depletion.
Uses:
Historically, it was introduced and cultivated as an ornamental plant, for erosion control, and as a windbreak. It has also been used for soil stabilisation.
Ecology:
As a highly invasive species in South Africa, Tamarix chinensis poses significant ecological threats, particularly in riparian zones (areas along rivers and streams), wetlands, and floodplains. Its aggressive invasion leads to:
Displacement of indigenous vegetation: It forms dense, impenetrable thickets that outcompete and replace native riparian plants, significantly reducing biodiversity.
Alteration of hydrology: Its deep roots can extract large volumes of water from the water table, leading to lowered groundwater levels and reduced water availability for native plants and ecosystems.
Increased soil salinity: Through its unique salt-excreting glands, it deposits salts onto the soil surface, making the soil more saline and inhospitable for salt-intolerant native flora.
Increased fire risk: The dense, dry thickets can be highly flammable, increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
Impact on wildlife: By transforming habitats and reducing native plant diversity, it negatively impacts native birds, insects, and other wildlife that rely on indigenous species for food and shelter. It is also known to hybridise with other Tamarix species, including T. ramosissima, creating aggressive hybrid forms.
Distribution and habitat:
In South Africa, Tamarix chinensis is distributed as an alien invasive, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions with access to water. It is found in provinces such as the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal. It commonly invades riparian areas, riverbanks, floodplains, wetlands, roadsides, and disturbed sites.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Tamarix is derived from the Tamaris River (now the Tambre) in Spain, where tamarisk species grow.
The species name chinensis refers to its origin in China.
Common names like "Chinese Tamarisk" and "Five-stamen Tamarisk" reflect its geographical origin and floral characteristics respectively. "Saltcedar" refers to its salt-excreting ability and somewhat cedar-like foliage.
Historical aspects:
Tamarix chinensis was introduced to South Africa and other parts of the world for its ornamental value, rapid growth, and perceived utility in erosion control. Its ability to tolerate harsh, salty, and dry conditions made it a popular choice for planting, especially in arid regions. However, its aggressive invasive tendencies soon became apparent, leading to its classification as a noxious weed in many countries. Management efforts, including biological control, are underway to mitigate its environmental damage.
Interesting facts:
This plant is a bit of a chameleon – its feathery leaves can make it look a bit like a cedar, but it's actually a completely different family of plants!
It's a real salt-shaker! It can pull salt out of the ground and then literally push it out through its leaves. When the leaves fall, they dump all that salt onto the soil, making it super difficult for other plants to grow there.
Don't be fooled by its delicate looks; this plant is super tough! It can grow in really dry, salty places where most other plants would give up.
Its tiny seeds are like little fluffy parachutes, able to float on the wind and water, allowing this plant to spread incredibly quickly along rivers and in wetlands.
Telling them apart:
Tamarix chinensis and Tamarix ramosissima are similar-looking plants, but botanists can tell them apart by looking at specific features under a microscope. The main differences are:
T. chinensis has smaller sepals (the outer parts that protect the flower bud) that don't have teeth on their edges
Its petals are egg-shaped, while T. ramosissima's petals are wider at the top
Its flower clusters are thicker (5-7 mm vs 3-4 mm)
The way the stamens (pollen-producing parts) attach to the flower is slightly different
T. chinensis has shorter protective leaves (bracts) below its flowers
However, these differences are so subtle that they're very hard to spot with the naked eye in nature - you really need a microscope to tell these plants apart reliably.
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