In Israel the shrub is known as Tamarisk, where it has a strong smell of
vanilla while in bloom and inhabits the most hostile environments. "Tamar" is
actually a Date Palm, there may be some non-botanical relation. BRBR

The word Tamarisk is from the Latin Tamarix. I have known people who cannot
pronounce Tamarisk (or asterisk either) and call it Tamarix no matter how it is
spelled.
In Hebrew the name is Eshel.
Tamar is actually the date fruit in Hebrew. The date palm tree is Tomer.
Incidentally, the Biblical passages which refer to milk and honey or other
fruits and honey, really mean dates, not bee honey.
The reason Tamarisk is called salt-cedar is because it is so tolerant of
brackish water. It will draw salty water up from its roots and transpire it
through the leaves, leaving a coating of salt crystals on the leaves. If you
stand under a large Tamarisk on a hot dry day, the moist air coming from the
leaves is cooling and refreshing. That is why Abraham planted a Tamarisk tree
in Beersheba.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)