Tamerisk

Scientific name: Tamarix gallica
Common name: Tamerisk

The tamerisk is a deciduous shrub not exceeding 6 meters in height. Its branches are daffodil-like, slender, and persist green in color even during winter. The delicate flowering of a lovely pink contrasts with the dark bark and covers the twigs. The leaves are small and pale. It has an unmistakable appearance; in fact, its pinkish fluffy foliage is chosen for ornamental purposes. It grows in coastal environments and on streams, always in loose, often sandy and saline soils.

The tamerisk has a very special characteristic, it "sweats". Small and salty drops evaporates from in leaves. During the day and in the absence of wind, it seems to give rise to rain. A very fascinating phenomenon that has been an inspiration to poets and writers.

In the past it was used as fodder, as animals loved its salty taste. It is used as an ornamental tree in gardens, parks and driveways. Ideal for reforestation of sandy and salty places, it is useful as a windbreak and for consolidating embankments, dunes and salt marshes.