Saltceder
Tamarix ramosissima

A Class B noxious weed in Washington State, saltcedar is invasive to riparian areas of arid lands in the western United States, including parts of eastern Washington. While there is a somewhat limited distribution in Washington, the sites are spread out and difficult to find.

The foliage of saltcedar somewhat resembles a cedar tree, but it has pink to rose colored flowers in the spring and throughout the summer. Originally introduced as a wind block for homesteads, saltcedar taproots can extend 60 meters in search of water. Capable of producing hundreds of thousands of seeds per plant, saltcedar is very hard to remove from arid lands once it establishes.

In western Washington (and in areas throughout the west), saltcedar is sometimes found for sale as a garden ornamental. However, saltcedar is on the state's prohibited plants list (external link) and it is illegal to buy or offer this species for sale in Washington.

If you find saltcedar in King County, please notify us through our online infestation form.

To find out where we have records of this weed in King County, use our interactive noxious weed map and search for saltcedar.

Saltcedar photos - click thumbnail for larger image

For more information about saltcedar, please follow this link to the WA State Noxious Weed Control Board.