Sometimes confused with tamarack because of the similarity of names,
five-stamen tamarisk, locally called “salt-cedar,” is one of several
small tree species from southeastern Europe and western Asia which have
become naturalized in North America. “Salt-cedar” often forms dense
thickets on alkaline soils along stream and reservoir banks at
elevations below 5,000 feet. Flowers, which vary in hue from deep pink
to white, cover the trees with graceful plumes of color from March to
August. Although valuable in retarding soil erosion, tamarisk requires
large quantities of water, an especially undesirable characteristic in
the arid Southwest.
_Tamarix pentandra_ Tamarix Family
[Illustration: FIVE-STAMEN TAMARISK]