Tamarix ramosissima (pentandra)

Common Names:
Five-stamen Tamarix, Tamarisk

Classification:
Shrubs, Trees

Origin:

southeastern Europe to central Asia where it usually occurs on saline soils

Sun/Water Requirements:

Requires full sun.
Moderate to dry conditions.
Provider Notes: "Not particular about soil and can grow in sand and dry soil."

Climate / Hardiness Zones:

Zone 2 to Zone 8
Provider notes: "The hardiest species of Tamarix. Ideal for seashore plantings as they are fantastically salt tolerant. Cappiello mentioned some tip dieback at Orono, ME."

Growth:

Range: Grows from 15' to 30'.
Rate: Relatively fast growth.
Provider notes: "usually a wild growing, very loose, open shrub; can be attractive with its fine-textured foliage, but definitely needs to be hidden when defoliated. Size is 10 to 15', usually less in spread, have observed 20 to 25' high specimens along North Carolina and Georgia coasts."

Flowers:

Colors: Pink
Season(s): Spring, Summer

Provider notes: "Perfect, rosy pink panicles June - July; quite attractive, the entire flowering shoot may approximate 3' in length; normally in full flower by early to mid-April in Athens. The flowers may last 4 to 6 weeks but show their age toward the end of the cycle."

Foliage:

Deciduous
Color: Leaves are green, and bluish-green in the summer. Leaves are yellow in the fall.
Provider notes: "leaves are small, usually scale-like, similar to juniper foliage, creates a feathery appearance."

Fruit:

Color: Black
Season(s): Fall
Provider notes: "capsule, inconsequential"

Landscape Value:

Can be used as an ornamental plant.
Can be used as a grouping plant.

Provider notes: "interesting for foliage effect as well as flowers but its uses are limited; perhaps best reserved for saline (salt) environments where it does amazingly well. Consider invasive in some areas. Prune back this species in early spring since it flowers on new growth. Can be treated like an herbaceous perennial to stimulate vegetative growth; for textural quality it is beautiful when handled this way."

Other:

Is Resistant to Drought
Is Salt Tolerant
Provider notes: "Root systems are usually very sparse and care should be exercised in planting; container-grown plants are the best bet."

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