Herb: Chinese Tamarisk


Latin name: Tamarix chinensis


Synonyms: Tamarix elegans, Tamarix gallica, Tamarix indica


Family: Tamaricaceae (Tamarisk Family)



Medicinal use of Chinese Tamarisk:

The leaves are analgesic, antipyretic, antivinous, carminative, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge. Aids measles rash surfacing. The wood is used in the treatment of anthrax-like sores A manna from the plant is vulnerary.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
4.5 m
(15 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Roadsides and stream edges, mostly as the result of cultivation.

Other uses of Chinese Tamarisk:

Very tolerant of maritime exposure, it makes a good shelter hedge in coastal gardens.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 15 - 25cm long, planted outdoors in late autumn in a nursery bed or straight into their permanent position. High percentage.

Cultivation of Chinese Tamarisk:

Roadsides and stream edges, mostly as the result of cultivation.

Known hazards of Tamarix chinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.