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Description:
Saltcedar, or tamarisk, is a deciduous shrub or
small tree growing 12 to15 feet in height and
forming dense thickets. Saltcedar is
characterized by slender branches and gray-green
foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth
and reddish-brown. As the plants age, the bark
becomes brownish-purple, ridged and furrowed.
Leaves are scale-like, less than ⅛ inch long,
and overlap each other along the stem. Leaves
are usually encrusted with salt secretions. From
March to September, large numbers of pink to
white flowers appear in dense masses on
2-inch-long spikes at the tips of branches.
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Photo by Steven Perkins, NRCS, NV |
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Management Guidelines:
Type and Class of
Livestock: Goats (especially wethers).
Not recommended for sheep and cattle.
Grazing Objective:
Severe defoliation to deplete root reserves and
prevent establishment of new plants.
Growth Stage for
Treatment:
Goats have a preference for young shoots, but
will readily browse shoots that are up to four
years old. Repeated browsing during the season
is needed to limit resprouting and to remove new
seedlings.
Potential Effectiveness:
Browsing of saltcedar is effective to reduce
size and density of trees and potentially
eliminate saltcedar from specific sites. Goats
must consume most or all resprouts and seedlings
for at least three to five years. Goats can
effectively control and ultimately eliminate
saltcedar. They will browse sprouts after mature
plants are cut and/or burned. Maintaining a
healthy perennial grass understory to prevent
seedling establishment is key to long-term
management of saltcedar infestations. |
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References:
Brotherson, J.D. and D. Field. 1987. Tamarix:
Impacts of a successful weed. Rangelands
9:110-112. Available at:
http://rangelands.libarary.arizona.edu/rangelands/
Accessed 16 July 2007. Grubb, R.T., R.L. Sheley, and R.D. Carlstrom.
2004. Saltcedar (Tamarisk). Montana State
University Extension Service. Montguide MT
199710. Available at:
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9710.pdf.
Accessed 16 July 2007
USDA-National Agriculture Library. National
Invasive Species Information Center. Species
Profile: Saltcedar. Availalbe at:
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/saltcedar.shtml.
Accessed 16 July 2007. |
© 2006, Targeted Grazing
