Invasive Saltcedar

April 23, 2011PlantsBy Green Guys

Tamarisk or saltcedar was introduced as an ornamental and for erosion control but it has become the number one threat to riparian ecosystem health in the southwestern United States. Over one million acres of riparian habitats are estimated to be dominated by this species.

Tamarisk spreads by seeds (600,000 wind-dispersed seeds per year per plant) and by layering, and can spread upstream quickly. It also secretes salt making the soil too salty for native plants.

A dense, one acre stand can use over 9 acre-feet of water per year, and a single plant can transpire 200 gallons a day – the same amount of water that a small family might otherwise use. This reduces river flows and causes problems with water rights and water delivery obligations.

The most successful method for managing saltcedar involves integrating root plowing and burning of the debris with repeated herbicide treatments on the regrowth. Contact a licensed pesticide applicator or vegetation control specialist. Biocontrol insects have been successful, but and often overlooked step in reclaiming riparian habitat from tamarisk is revegetation.

For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).