Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Tamarix

Tamarix

9.8
A group of small trees and shrubs often planted to hold soil in place
  • noun
  • /ˈtæmərɪks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tamarisco
  • Landowners in the western United States brought in bushy, deciduous saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) trees for erosion control in 1837.

Examples

  • For example, salt cedar's (Tamarix sp.) long seed dispersal period allows it to establish after floods occurring any time during the growing season, contributing to its abundance on floodplains of the western United States (Horton 1977).

    Academic text (1997)

  • Many gardeners choose Tamarix for its striking pink flowers and ability to thrive in poor soil.

  • C. E. Zavaleta, "Valuing Ecosystem Services Lost to Tamarix Invasion in the United States," in H. A. Mooney and R. J. Hobbs, eds., Invasive Species in a Changing World (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000).

    Academic text (2004)

  • The Tamarix is often used in landscaping to stabilize sandy soil and prevent erosion.

  • In dry regions, plant Tamarix to add beauty while helping to hold the ground from washing away.

Synonyms

tamarisk
vsTamarix
1 9.9

A small bush similar to a tree with thin leaves and feathery pink flowers that grows near coasts

is the botanical genus name noting native range and ornamental and soil uses

Surface Forms

Tamarix singular
Tamarices plural

Etymology

Tamarix comes from the old Latin name tamarix, the original name for the 'tamarisk' tree that often grows by salty coasts and rivers. That's why Tamarix today names a group of small trees and shrubs often used to stabilize soil in dry or salty places.