ID plant - Ask Extension
This plant comes back every year and blooms pink on top. Leaves look like an evergreen plant but more airy.
Knowledgebase
ID plant #876275
Asked July 08, 2024, 8:55 AM EDT
This plant comes back every year and blooms pink on top. Leaves look like an evergreen plant but more airy.
Frederick County Maryland
Expert Response
Are you seeing this plant is Maryland?
It appears to be a Tamarisk (T. ramosissima), a.k.a. salt cedar which you can see here:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=253936&isprofile=0&pt=4
It is not a Maryland native plant and is invasive in multiple areas of the country.
Christine
It appears to be a Tamarisk (T. ramosissima), a.k.a. salt cedar which you can see here:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=253936&isprofile=0&pt=4
It is not a Maryland native plant and is invasive in multiple areas of the country.
Christine
Yes i have this plant. Purchased it about 6 or so years ago from a local nursery. I transplanted it about 4 times and this is the last move for it. Its tall and spindly. Wonder if i could cut it back and when?.
Thanks Elaine
Hello Elaine,
By its nature, Tamarisk is a tall-growing plant, either a very large shrub or a small, almost dwarf tree. It can't be kept very short long-term without stunting and potentially losing the ability to flower normally. If you wanted to experiment with cutting it back, it's probably best to do so in spring (perhaps early April or so). We do not have experience cultivating this plant, as much of Maryland is too hot for it to prosper, and as Christine mentioned, there is concern of it becoming invasive. (Though mainly, for now, that spread has been limited to the west.)
Other Extension resources about growing Tamarisk that we consulted also concur with pruning heavily (as needed) to restrain size, though they disagree a bit about timing. Some say early spring, some say after bloom. (Since your specimen is only blooming now and presumably was not in flower months ago, that implies that the species you're growing flowers on "new wood," which means it would not have dormant flower buds in winter to lose if it was pruned in spring. In comparison, if it blooms on "old wood," then pruning in spring would remove those buds, and hence pruning should only be done just after the flowers fade. Since we don't know which species this is, you may need to try one technique and see how it works out.)
Miri
By its nature, Tamarisk is a tall-growing plant, either a very large shrub or a small, almost dwarf tree. It can't be kept very short long-term without stunting and potentially losing the ability to flower normally. If you wanted to experiment with cutting it back, it's probably best to do so in spring (perhaps early April or so). We do not have experience cultivating this plant, as much of Maryland is too hot for it to prosper, and as Christine mentioned, there is concern of it becoming invasive. (Though mainly, for now, that spread has been limited to the west.)
Other Extension resources about growing Tamarisk that we consulted also concur with pruning heavily (as needed) to restrain size, though they disagree a bit about timing. Some say early spring, some say after bloom. (Since your specimen is only blooming now and presumably was not in flower months ago, that implies that the species you're growing flowers on "new wood," which means it would not have dormant flower buds in winter to lose if it was pruned in spring. In comparison, if it blooms on "old wood," then pruning in spring would remove those buds, and hence pruning should only be done just after the flowers fade. Since we don't know which species this is, you may need to try one technique and see how it works out.)
Miri
Thanks for your reply.
Elaine
You're welcome.
Thanks for this info. Will sign up.
