Leaf

Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

French tamarisk

Tamarix gallica L.

Also known as: Tamarisk, Salt cedar

Family: Tamaricaceae

2 to 5 m tall

Seaside, windbreak hedges, gardens, even salty soils

Flowering: May – September

Full sun

Hardy to -15°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its exceptional tolerance of salt and sea spray makes it one of the few shrubs able to grow right on the seafront.

🍃 Leaves

Evergreen, minute blue-green scales, feathery, covering fine twigs

🌸 Flowers

Small feathery pale pink spikes, very abundant

🍎 Fruits

Small dry capsules

🪵 Bark

Red-brown bark, very fine, supple twigs

🗺️ Distribution

Western and southern Europe (Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts); common on the French coast, tolerating sea spray and salty soils.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Long feathery pink clusters very rich in nectar in summer, heavily visited by bees.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Planted as a windbreak hedge on the coast for its tolerance of salt and wind.

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No known toxicity.

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

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