Tamarisk was sold as an ornamental plant for gardens during the 1800 and 1900's. Its seeds escaped from cultivated areas and started taking over the banks of streams and rivers. Tamarisk has now spread to most of the western United States, displacing the native Cottonwoods and other plants.

Mature tamarisk trees can produce millions of pollen-size seeds dispersed through wind and water. Seeds can germinate while floating and establish themselves on wet banks within 2 weeks. Newly formed sand banks are particularly susceptible. Plants can grow to 10cm tall during the first 2 months and can grow over 6 meters tall. The taproot can reach 30 meters down with a root spread of up to 50 meters. Trees may reproduce in the first year, but typically they reproduce during the second year. Adventitious roots can produce new trees when buried!

The USGS National Institute of Invasive Species Science current distribution map shows the latest known occurrences of Tamarix nation-wide. This map is being updated regularly by the NIISS team.