Brush - Range & Pasture - Saltcedar (Tamarisk)

BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE

Saltcedar (Tamarisk)

Saltcedar, Tamarisk

Tamarix spp.

Perennial Woody Brush

Plant Type

Shrub or small tree; tamarisk family (Tamaricaceae)

Life Cycle

Perennial; introduced

Leaf Habit

Mostly deciduous; a few species evergreen (Texas A&M)

Typical Height

10 to 30 ft (Texas A&M)

Photo Gallery

Saltcedar feathery branches with plumes of pink flowers — **Pink Flowers** Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saltcedar slender branches with tiny scale-like leaves and pale pink flower spikes — **Scale Leaves and Flowers** Photo: Prahlad balaji, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Identify It

Quick ID

Leaves

Tiny, scale-like, about 1/16 inch
Often crusted with salt (Texas A&M)

Stems

Slender branches; young twigs smooth and reddish brown (Texas A&M)

Flowers

Small white, pink, or purple flowers in dense masses at stem tips, March to September (Texas A&M)

Growth

Forms dense thickets; up to 500,000 seeds per plant per year (Texas A&M)

Look-Alikes

Eastern Redcedar

How to tell it apart from saltcedar: [PLACEHOLDER]

Counter script: "If it is a feathery gray-green thicket by water with tiny scale leaves and pink flower plumes, it is most likely saltcedar."

Where It Grows

Texas

Ecoregions (Texas A&M): Gulf Prairies and Marshes, Cross Timbers and Prairies, South Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Rolling Plains, High Plains, Trans-Pecos

Oklahoma

Throughout the state (OSU)

New Mexico

[PLACEHOLDER]

Sites and soils: Moist soils near rivers, streams, and lakes or over shallow groundwater; tolerates extreme salinity (Texas A&M).

Best Time to Control

Brush Busters stem spray: any time of year.

Saltcedar is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls saltcedar.

Treatment Methods

Basal Bark (Stem) Spray

Example product: Remedy Ultra (Corteva); the Remedy Ultra label lists saltcedar for basal and cut stump use only
Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy 25% (1 qt) + 3 qt diesel

Cut Stump

PastureGard HL (label): undiluted on saltcedar stumps, max 1 gal per acre
Mix (Brush Busters): Remedy Ultra 15% (19 oz per gallon) in diesel or vegetable oil

Individual Plant vs. Broadcast

Density guidance for this plant: [PLACEHOLDER]
Follow the label for broadcast use

Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.

Sources: Brush Busters: How to Control Saltcedar (L-5398) and How to Avoid Lumps When Treating Cut Stumps (Texas A&M AgriLife) for Remedy Ultra mixes; Remedy Ultra label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-552; PastureGard HL label, EPA Reg. No. 62719-637; Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands; Oklahoma State University Extension.