California Invasive Plant Council

Tamarix ramosissima

Synonyms: Tamarix juniperina; Tamarix pentandra

Common names: saltcedar; tamarisk

Tamarix ramosissima (saltcedar, tamarisk) is a shrub or a tree (family Tamaricaceae) which can be found along streams and lake shores, throughout California. Tamarix ramosissima is associated with dramatic changes in geomorphology, groundwater availability, soil chemistry, fire frequency, plant community composition, and native wildlife diversity. It may hybridize with Tamarix gallica or Tamarix chinensis.

Cal-IPC Rating: High?

Explanation of Cal-IPC ratings

• High – These species have severe ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal and establishment. Most are widely distributed ecologically.
• Moderate – These species have substantial and apparent-but generally not severe-ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure. Their reproductive biology and other attributes are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal, though establishment is generally dependent upon ecological disturbance. Ecological amplitude and distribution may range from limited to widespread.
• Limited – These species are invasive but their ecological impacts are minor on a statewide level or there was not enough information to justify a higher score. Their reproductive biology and other attributes result in low to moderate rates of invasiveness. Ecological amplitude and distribution are generally limited, but these species may be locally persistent and problematic.
• Alert – An Alert is listed on species with High or Moderate impacts that have limited distribution in California, but may have the potential to spread much further.
• Watch – These species have been assessed as posing a high risk of becoming invasive in the future in California.

CDFA Rating: -*?

Explanation of CDFA ratings

• A – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and is either not known to be established in California or it is present in a limited distribution that allows for the possibility of eradication or successful containment.
• B – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is of limited distribution.
• C – A pest of known economic or environmental detriment and, if present in California, it is usually widespread.
• D – An organism known to be of little or no economic or environmental detriment, to have an extremely low likelihood of weediness, or is known to be a parasite or predator.
• Q – An organism or disorder suspected to be of economic or environmental detriment, but whose status is uncertain because of incomplete identification or inadequate information.
• * – An asterisk next to the rating indicates that a plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds.
• -* – This plant is included in the CCR Section 4500 list of California State Noxious Weeds, but is otherwise not rated.

More details

Assessment(s)

Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.

Species ID Card

Invasive Species ID Card - To support field identification of early detection species, Cal-IPC has designed a set of Species ID cards that can be downloaded, printed double-sided, and trimmed to size.

Special Reports

Weed Management Notes

• Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.

Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles

• Are we making progress? A bird's-eye view of change in invasive plant cover in central-coastal Orange County. Burger, Jutta C.. Vol 27, Issue 2
• Eradicating tamarisk from the Sisquoc River Watershed. Yould, Tanner. Vol 26, Issue 2
• Alliance forms to guide tamarisk biocontrol in California. Norelli, Nicole. Vol 25, Issue 1
• Weed biological control agents approved for California. Pitcairn, Michael J.; Smith, Lincoln; Moran, Patrick. Vol 22, Issue 1
• Wildland Weed News. editor. Vol 17, Issue 2
• Greetings from the Low Desert WMA. Hawkins, Ilima. Vol 17, Issue 1
• The cost of weeds to California. Brusati, Elizabeth. Vol 17, Issue 1
• Don’t sell a pest: A new partnership to prevent plant invasions through horticulture. Connick, Sarah; Gerel, Mike. Vol 13, Issue 2
• Which weeds dominate southern California urban riparian systems?. Burkhart, Brad; Kelly, Mike. Vol 13, Issue 1
• Exotic pest plants, Calif. Assoc. of Nurserymen, and CalEPPC. Bell, Carl E.; Evans, Mike; Wilen, Cheryl. Vol 09, Issue 1
• Lessons from the front: Taking stock to avoid surprises. Kelly, Mike. Vol 05, Issue 1
• Biological control of invasive exotic pest plant species: A report on the importance of maintaining and enhancing our nation’s biological control capabilities. CalEPPC. Vol 03, Issue 3

Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations

Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.

• Biological control agents of weeds in California: Overview of rearing, releases, and monitoring by the CDFA Biological Control Program. Moran, Patrick (2023)
• Long-term outcomes of active reforestation versus natural regeneration following invasive salt cedar removal on the lower Colorado River. Havstad, Emma; Gaffney, Sarah; Talken, Anna; Mirts, Haley; Armstrong, Kim; Ulep, Francis; Hagen, Erin (2023)
• Developing a post-fire EDRR framework. Quon, Lauren; Fitch, Robert; Laskey, Hailey (2022)
• Early detection surveys in the Holy Fire burn area. England, Joy (2022)
• Tackling invasive plants after the 2020 Angeles National Forest fire season. Castro, Andrew (2022)
• Complexity, constraints, and challenges of herbicidal and biological tamarisk treatment in the Mojave River watershed. Lair, Ken; Bell, Chuck; Lindgren, Jackie; Dudley, Tom (2020)
• Distribution and spread of tamarisk beetles (Diorhabda spp.) and their known and predicted effects on riparian ecosystems. Bloodworth, Ben (2020)
• Using detection dogs to enhance invasive plant management strategies. Hurt, Aimee (2020)
• Complexity, constraints and challenges of tamarisk treatment in the Mojave River watershed. Lair, Kenneth; Bell, Chuck; Lindgren, Jackie (2017)
• Native riparian revegetation success in controlled tamarisk and non-tamarisk sites in the Mojave River watershed, California. Lair, Kenneth (2017)
• Past, present, and future: Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and biological control in California. Norelli, Nicole (2017)
• California Alliance for Tamarisk Biocontrol – Biological Control with the Tamarisk Leaf Beetle (Diorhabda spp.). Norelli, Nicole; Dudley, Tom (2016)

Other Tamarix ramosissima Information

• Bugwood - National database from the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
• Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
• CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
• EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
• Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
• USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.

Additional photos