Tamarix chinensis seed
LATIN NAME: TAMARIX CHINENSIS
COMMON NAME: Chinese Tamarisk
On the salt flats and the river margins of the east, the Chinese tamarisk grows as a slender, much-branched, deciduous shrub with the fine, feathery, grey-green branchlets and the dense, slender spikes of small, pink flowers that open in waves through the summer. Over the seasons it steadily builds a rounded crown, standing 5-10 metres at maturity. It does well in the full sun and the well-drained, sandy ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Chinese tamarisk appears in the studies of the salt-tolerant shrubs of the east, its feathery branchlets and its pink spikes keeping it in view in the work on the coastal and inland saltland planting and the windbreaks of the dry plains. The research looks at the way the scale-like leaves resist the salt, the pink spikes open in their waves, and the seed biology of the tiny, tufted seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry garden and the windswept bank, the Chinese tamarisk makes the soft, feathery, pink-flowered bush that stands the salt wind and the thin ground. The dense twiggy growth breaks the wind and holds the soil, and the shrub makes the fine windbreak, the seaside shrub and the plant of the poor, salty place. It is a shrub for the open, sunny, sandy and free-draining ground.
To grow the Chinese Tamarisk from seed, broadcast the fine seeds onto moist, sandy soil without delay.
Broadcast the fine seeds onto moist, sandy soil without delay, and keep the young shrubs in the open, sunny spot. The pink spikes open in their summer waves.
LATIN NAME: Tamarix chinensis
COMMON NAME: Chinese Tamarisk, Saltcedar, Five-stamen Tamarisk
The Chinese tamarisk is a tough, graceful shrub or small tree that thrives where most plants give up. It slowly becomes a compact, rounded bush, reaching three to four metres. It is a plant of the salt flats and the riverbanks, growing happily in poor, salty, waterlogged soil, and its feathery pink mist is one of the most distinctive sights of warm, dry country.
The Chinese tamarisk belongs to the tamarisk family, Tamaricaceae, and it is native to China and Korea. It matures into an upright, leafy clump, up to a metre tall.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Chinese tamarisk from seed is easy and rewarding. The tiny seeds sit inside small capsules, and they germinate readily in warm, moist conditions, and they need light, so sow them on the surface of pots of free-draining compost, press them in gently and keep them warm, bright and lightly moist. Germination usually begins within two to four weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in full sun, in almost any soil, even salty or waterlogged ground, where they will thrive. The young plants grow fast, and within a couple of seasons you will have the feathery pink plumes that make this plant so lovely.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Chinese tamarisk has a rich and sometimes controversial record in research. Because it tolerates salt, drought and waterlogging so well, it has been studied extensively for erosion control, shelterbelts and land reclamation in dry regions, and its remarkable salt-tolerance has made it valuable in research on plants that can grow in difficult soils. At the same time, in parts of the western United States and Australia, the related tamarisks have become invasive weeds, and researchers have studied their spread, their use of water and their control, making them a major case study in invasion biology. For a plant of such toughness and such a divided reputation, the Chinese tamarisk has a fascinating record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Chinese tamarisk is a plant of the tough places. Its feathery pink flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its dense growth gives shelter for birds, and it stabilises soil on riverbanks, salt flats and wind-blown ground where few plants can grow.
Its economic value lies mainly in shelter and reclamation. It is planted for windbreaks, shelterbelts and erosion control in dry and salty regions, and it is also grown as an ornamental for its feathery pink bloom, while the wood has been used for fuel and small work. For a grower, the Chinese tamarisk is a dependable plant for difficult ground, and for a gardener in a hot, dry, salty spot it brings a mist of pink bloom where almost nothing else will grow.