tamarisk

[tam-uh-risk]

noun

1. any Old World tropical plant of the genus Tamarix, especially T. gallica, an ornamental Mediterranean shrub or small tree having slender, feathery branches.

2. a shrub or small tree, Tamarix chinensis, of Eurasia, having scalelike leaves and clusters of pink flowers, naturalized in the southwestern U.S., where it has become a troublesome weed.

tamarisk

/ ˈtæmərɪsk /

noun

1. any of various ornamental trees and shrubs of the genus Tamarix, of the Mediterranean region and S and SE Asia, having scalelike leaves, slender branches, and feathery clusters of pink or whitish flowers: family Tamaricaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of tamarisk¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tamariscus, from Late Latin, variant of Latin tamarīc-, stem tamarix; further origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of tamarisk¹

C15: from Late Latin tamariscus, from Latin tamarix

Example Sentences

As he walked, Herrero periodically bent down to pull out a small shrub of tamarisk — an invasive species.

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Fed by spring water — unusual for the Salton Sea — these areas are now home to small shorebirds who flit about pools of water amid grasses and invasive tamarisk.

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Exacerbating the problem are invasive non-native plants such as the tamarisk and Russian olive tree.

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Invasive fire-prone species of tree, such as tamarisk, have moved in beneath the old cottonwoods.

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Six years ago, workers removed invasive tamarisk trees at the site and planted a forest of native cottonwoods, willows and mesquites.

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