It has fragile, woody branchlets that drop off in autumn along with the small, scale-like leaves that cover them. The leaf-shape is an adaptation over time to exceedingly dry conditions.[3]
The pink flowers are tiny, hermaphroditic, and are borne on narrow, feather-like spikes. They frequently bloom earlier than the leaves, first in May, and sometimes a second time in August.[3]
In its native range the plant grows in moist areas such as riverbanks, especially in saline soils.[4] It has been grown as an ornamental plant for its profuse production of showy pink flower spikes. In Algeria and surrounding areas it has been used medicinally for rheumatism, diarrhea, and other maladies.[4] Its juice is an ingredient for Gaz, a Persian delicacy from Isfahan.
^ abUSDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tamarix gallica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
^ abcEleanor Lawrence, Ed. (1985). The Illustrated Book of Trees & Shrubs. New York, NY: Gallery Books, an imprint of W.H.Smith Publishers Inc. p. 150. ISBN0-8317-8820-8.