Saltcedar-Tamarix ramosissima

This shrub/tree with the pretty pink flowers is actually a big pain in the butt throughout many of the southern states in the U.S. This is saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), also called tamarisk. It is the only member in its family, the Tamarisk Family (Tamaricaceae) found here. It is native to Eurasia.

Saltcedar can be deciduous or evergreen and grow up to 20 feet tall. The bark is redddish brown and the leaves are small and scale-like. The flowers are tiny and pink and 5-petalled. Saltcedar was brought to the U.S. as an ornamental, but escaped and became naturalized along streams, canals, and reservoirs. It likes salty soils and can actually increase the salt content in the soil it's growing in, thus not allowing other plants to grow there. It has been successfully removed in many areas by a small beetle that eats it.
For more information about salt cedar, click here.