Tamarix aphylla

Tamarix aphylla is also known as Athel tamarisk and Athel tree. It is common in Israel, and some can be found growing wild in different places in Israel. It is also known as an Athel pine, though it is not a Pinus species. It is an evergreen tee that reaches an adult height of about 14 m with a crown diameter of up to 10 m. It originates from the deserts of northern and northwestern Africa, mainly from the Sahara. It is a very versatile and resilient tree. It has no problem with high temperatures, not even with prolonged heatwaves. It also does fine in low temperatures and with frost, although it is less comfortable in prolonged cold conditions. It also can withstand different types of soil and is one of the few that grows well even in saline or chalky soil. In light of its climatic and environmental adaptations, it is common throughout Israel, including nearby the sea. Tamarix aphylla, like its siblings Tamarix chinensis and T. tetragyna, even thrives as a frontline coastal plant, and they are among the only species that can withstand the sea spray from the Mediterranean. T. aphylla requires very little water. It needs a bit of auxiliary watering until it is established – and afterward, there is no need to water it. Excess water can even damage it. The tree naturally grows quickly, and an abundance of water significantly accelerates the rate of growth, in a way that greatly weakens its wood and makes its branches fragile.

As part of the tree’s survival mechanism for its desert origins, its leaves absorb moisture from the environment in a process where salt is secreted as a by-product. The salt that spreads under the tree prevents plants and grass from growing there. The leaflets are thin and scaly, somewhat reminiscent of conifer trees. In August–September, the branches are covered with white flowers. These flowers are very small, so they don’t have the intensity of an impressive flowering, but due to their abundance, the tree obtains an overall unique, white look. Many people appreciate the appearance of the tree’s structure: both the picturesque trunk with the grooved bark and the somewhat ‘gothic’ appearance of the branches extending from the trunk, which sprout through its round-spreading canopy.

Tamarix aphylla also has an erect, relatively thin cultivar whose crown diameter does not exceed 4 m. Its foliage is a bit lighter than the regular T. aphylla, and the texture of the scaly leaves is a bit more delicate. Aside from these two properties, the two are very similar.

In the same family: Tamarix aphylla | Tamarix aphylla erect | Tamarix chinensis