Grow tamarisk in full sun, in soil that drains, and check the noxious-weed list before you buy it. It is Tamarix ramosissima, also sold as saltcedar. It is not tamarind, and it is not a true cedar.
Full sun, soil that drains, and a check of the noxious list
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun all day | Do not plant it in shade |
| Soil | Acid to neutral ground that drains after rain; sandy loam is fine | Do not set it in a sealed wet hole |
| Water | Water a new shrub through the first growing season; then let dry weeks pass | Do not keep the roots wet once it is established |
| Salt | It takes salt spray and saline soil in a legal landscape | Do not treat salt tolerance as a reason to plant a riverbank |
| Legal | Check your county noxious-weed list before you buy or keep it | Do not plant it where it is listed, and do not set it on a ditch or stream |
tamarisk is Tamarix ramosissima, a deciduous shrub with fine gray-green scale leaves and pink summer plumes. Give it open sun and ground that dries after rain. [1] Sandy loam suits it, and it takes salt spray and poor, dry soil once the roots are down. [2] Water a new plant through its first season, then ease off. A weekly soak on an established shrub is not the job. [3] It was brought in as an ornamental and a windbreak, and it has spread along rivers and ditches in much of the West. Read the county list first. If the shrub is listed, do not plant it. [4] Hard late-winter cuts live on Prune Tamarisk.
How much sun does tamarisk need?
Full sun all day. Shade makes a thin, open shrub that blooms poorly.
How often do I water tamarisk?
Water a new shrub through the first growing season. After that, let dry weeks pass. Do not keep the roots wet.
Is tamarisk invasive?
Yes, in many central and western states, and on some eastern lists. Check your county list before you buy it, and do not set it on a ditch or stream.
Plant a nursery shrub from a container, and leave 10 to 15 feet
If the shrub is legal where you garden and you already have a nursery pot, plant it in spring or fall, at the old soil line, with room to mature. Catalog plants reach about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 13 feet wide, so leave that space from a wall, a path, and other shrubs. Keep it off a waterway even when the county still allows the plant.
- Soak the container, then slide the root ball out without tearing the fine roots.
- Dig a hole as deep as the pot and a little wider, in full sun, on ground that drains.
- Set the mix at the old soil line. Do not bury the crown.
- Leave 10 to 15 feet from buildings and other large shrubs, and keep it off a ditch or riverbank.
- Water the root zone through the first growing season, then let dry weeks pass.
When do I plant tamarisk?
In spring or fall, from a container, and only where the shrub is legal. Do not plant it on a ditch or stream.
How far apart do I plant it?
Leave 10 to 15 feet. The shrub reaches about that height and 8 to 13 feet across.
Not tamarind — and not a true cedar
Tamarind is a tropical fruit tree, Tamarindus indica, grown for brown sticky pods. If the tag says tamarind, it is not this plume shrub. Care for that tree on How to Grow Tamarind.
Saltcedar is a shop name for tamarisk, not a true cedar. Cedar needles and cones belong on How to Grow Cedar. The scale leaves also look a little like juniper, but this plant drops them in winter and makes true pink flowers, so it is not How to Grow Juniper.
Is tamarisk the same as tamarind?
No. Tamarind is Tamarindus indica, a tropical fruit tree. Tamarisk is Tamarix ramosissima, a deciduous plume shrub.
Is salt cedar a true cedar?
No. Saltcedar is another name for tamarisk. True cedar is Cedrus, an evergreen conifer.
Keep it in full sun, in ground that drains, and skip the plant if your county lists it.
FAQ
Is saltcedar the same as tamarisk?
Yes. Saltcedar and salt cedar are shop names for Tamarix ramosissima. The plant is still tamarisk, not a true cedar.
Is Pink Cascade a different plant?
No. It is a deeper-pink form of the same shrub. Full sun, drain, and the late-winter cut stay the same.
Can I grow tamarisk in a pot?
Not as a long-term plan. A young nursery pot is only a start. Open ground is the home, and only where the shrub is legal.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tamarix-ramosissima/ - [2] Missouri Botanical Garden -
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a401 - [3] University of Illinois Extension -
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/shrubselector/detail_plant.cfm?PlantID=457 - [4] National Invasive Species Information Center -
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/saltcedar
This note is part of Tamarix Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors