Tamarisk is a small tree or shrub that grows on salty ground. There are about 100 different kinds of tamarisk. Most species are found in marshes and near coasts around the Mediterranean Sea and in the Middle East. Tamarisks grow to about 7 feet (2 meters) tall. Their leaves are small and scalelike, and they usually produce small pink flowers in spring. Some cultivated varieties have deep red-colored flowers. Tamarisk trees should be pruned back after flowering to encourage a compact, bushy growth.
Tamarisk trees are planted as windbreaks in coastal areas. In North Africa, Bedouins collect manna, a sweet substance from the stems of tamarisk trees. The manna is produced by scale insects sucking the tree sap. The galls on tamarisk trees are used to dye leather and wool in Africa and India. Galls on tamarisk trees are abnormal growths caused by the scale insects.
