Salt cedar was first introduced the US in 1870 from the Middle East. Ever since then it has been used for various uses, including decoration. By 1938, salt cedar has grown in places from Florida to California, and as far as Idaho. At this point, it is listed as an invasive species in Oklahoma.

Some of salt cedar’s uses are windbreaks and shade, as well as reduce erosion along stream banks.

Salt cedar can reach an average height of 12’ to 15’ in height. Its natural appearance is slender, gray-green branches and forms along dense thickets. It features scale-like leaves are gray-green in color, narrow and pointed, near 1/16" in length, and may overlap along the stems. Salt cedars usually grow around mid-spring to fall.

Salt cedar is best described as an appealing evergreen shrub that can reach a height of fifty feet. The salt cedar is an invasive shrub and as such may form dense thickets of vegetation when growing near waterways. Its leaves have a resemblance to those of juniper leaves, in the sense that they have are scale-like and overlaps each other along the stem in gray-green color.

The stems of salt cedar are slender and bear the color of light red or orange. Its flowers’ colors can range between pale pink to white. It forms dense masses of 2 inch long spikes all the way to the branch tips. Salt cedar also have dense plumes of flowers which bloom around early spring to late fall, producing on average 600,000 seeds annually. And speaking of seeds, salt cedar reproduces mainly by root and seeds, which are spread via water and air. The most suitable type of soil for its growth is riparian areas however it can also flourish among drier soils.

You can find salt cedar mainly along streams, waterways, bottom lands, banks and drainage washes of natural or artificial water bodies. It can also thrive in moist rangelands and pastures as well as any area of land where its seedlings will not be exposed to saturated soil. Salt cedar has also been found in major areas around western Montana, areas which are not typically riparian in nature.

Salt cedar can greatly complement a beautiful display of fresh or dried flowers. For example, preserved salt cedar can be used to add height and visual dimension to any decoration or project.

Dried salt cedar can also be presented alone as a bunch in a vase or basket for a modern accent to your room or office. Salt cedar’s naturally straight colored branches produce a unique accent to any interior decoration or flower arrangement.