Saxaul

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The saxaul, sometimes sacsaoul or saksaul (scientific name Haloxylon ammondendron), is a plant belonging to the family of Chenopodiaceae (although it is also placed in the Amaranthaceae). It ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree. The wood is heavy and coarse and the bark is spongy and water-soaked. The leaves of the tree are so small that it appears to be without leaves, giving it a dull grey appearance. However, the branches of young trees are green and pendulous. The saxaul has small yellow flowers.

The saxaul is found in the arid salt deserts of Central Asia, particularly in the Turkestan region and east of the Caspian Sea and also in many scattered areas of Iranian deserts. They are often found in 'saxaul forests'.

The thick bark of the saxaul tree stores water. Quantities of the bark may be pressed for drinking water, making saxaul an important source of water in arid regions where it grows.

In the Gobi desert, the saxaul is often the only kind of tree found. It used to be the only kind of wood that nomads could use for heating and cooking.

A parasitic plant that grows on the roots of the saxaul is prized in Chinese medicine as the 'ginseng of the desert'.

Saxaul is planted on a large scale in the afforestation of arid areas in China. Being highly drought-resistant, it has played an important role in the establishment of shelter belts and the fixation of sand dunes as a counter to desertification.

The name saxaul is also applied to Haloxylon persicum (or White saxaul) and Haloxylon aphyllum (or Black saxaul).