Tamarix chinensis

A small, semi-deciduous tree with a scattered canopy that can be designed with multiple trunks due to its shrub-like nature. It is the smallest of the Tamarix trees. Its leaves resemble fine scales or needles. Its trunk can range in color from brown-red to black. It flowers in early spring in delicate and fragrant clusters that are bright pink tending toward purple-lilac. Its flowers are very impressive, more than all other Tamarix trees. In winter, its appearance is that of a tree that has shed its leaves, but it is actually semi-deciduous. The tree requires very little water, thanks to its ability to absorb dew and moisture from the air overnight. Like its siblings, it secretes drops of salt on the ground, which makes the soil beneath it salty and naturally prevents other plants’ growing beneath it and in its immediate vicinity.

The main large advantage to T. chinensis is that it is resistant to saline sea spray, and therefore it can be used as a frontline coastal plant. The tree is very resistant to the extreme weather conditions found in Israel, and beyond its suitability for the shoreline, it is also suitable for all types of soil and climatic regions in Israel. The tree is an important pasture for honey bees.

Others in the same family: Tamarix aphylla | Tamarix aphylla erect | Tamarix chinensis