Wandlore: Tamarix ramosissima, AKA: Tamarisk, or Salt Cedar.
The science:
The Tamarisk, also called the Salt Cedar, is a shrubby, red barked tree native to some parts of Eurasia and Northern Africa. Tamarisk is known for sapping salt up from any water source near it into the soil around it, as its one of the only plants capable of surviving and thriving under those conditions. In the spring, it blooms a magenta, almost lilac pink in many places.
The Tamarisk tree was introduced to the Colorado River Basin in the late 1800s in an effort to stop soil erosion and keep trails clean. Unfortunately, the Tamarisk tree is Rhizomous, which means it can spread underground as well as through seed, and cuttings or fallen limbs from the tree can also root themselves. Accompanied by its tendency to increase the PH of the soil it lands in, the Tamarisk tree became a rapid menace to the southwestern ecosystem.
Because of this, if you take a river raft down the Colorado you are more than likely going to see hundreds or thousands of these trees along the banks. Places where native Cottonwoods or Willows would normally be are filled to the brim with salty earth and red tamarisk trees.
Luckily, there is a small glimmer of hope. The tamarisk beetle, a small golden yellow weevil, no bigger than the head of a pin, eats exclusively tamarisk trees. Careful introduction of the tamarisk beetle to these trees has begun to curb their expanse. Unfortunately, there are still precious few plants that can survive the salty soil the trees leave in their wake, and the thousands of dead trees alongside the river feel an awful lot like walking through a Grove of ghosts.
Ethnobotany and Mythology:
The tamarisk tree has a vast and ancient set of mythological and religious symbolism behind it. In its native range, the tamarisk tree has long been connected to death and rebirth through the story of Osiris's death in Egyptian paganism. When Osiris is killed, his body is hidden inside the trunk of a massive tamarisk tree, for Isis to find and revive.
This connection to hidden things is also noteworthy, as in the Iliad, Odysseus and diomedes hide some of their spoils from the war inside a Tamarisk. In another Greek myth, a young woman or girl is turned into a Tamarisk tree, along with her siblings. However, it should be noted that many diffrent women, girls, nymphs and goddesses turn into trees, plants and shrubs in mythology, and they are often mixed with each other at one point or another.
In abrahamic religions, many characters are said to gain important knowlage under tamarisk trees ( such as the ever present abraham) or have been buried underneath them (Samuel)
In Islam, they take on a more spiteful turn, as Allah converts the gardens of the saba people to Tamarisk and bitter fruits as punishment.
In the southwest, where they have taken root, they symbolize that same sort of spite as well as a stubbornness for life.
In both their native and invasive ranges, the tamarisk tree is used for making sturdy and durable goods. Things like furniture, wagon wheels, and boxes. The wood itself is beautiful, if occasionally difficult to work with. Medicinally, the tree has been used in traditional practices to treat digestive issues, gut problems, diabetes and dental issues to varying degrees of success. It has also been used in soaking and purifying baths well into ancient times, as its mentioned that gilgamesh's mother took a bath in a Tamarisk soak before sending her son and his partner on their quest.
The magic
Taking all of these sources into account, it's safe to say that the tamarisk tree would have a very specific arcane niche to fill: stubbornness, secrets, and toxicity. The protective aspects of the tree are numerous of course, but often come in unexpected ways. Wands or other foci made with Tamarisk would likely do an average job with standard protective magics, but astonishingly well at protecting those who are already dead, or secrets that one would wish to hide for eternity. These Foci will aslo do an excellent job with purifying Charms and intense purification rituals, perhaps even exorcism if done correctly.
It should also be noted that the high salt content of the Tamarisk tree is two fold: it will aid in its protectiveness, of course, but it may also be a sign that the owner of the foci in question may drive others away in their personal lives. They will be steadfast and stubborn, and good at what they set themselves to task over, but God's forbid they form a true lasting relationship with anyone who isn't exactly like them. This may present itself as a mild sort of closed mindedness at best, or outright hatred of others at worst. They may be xenophobic, religious zealots, or even simply abrasive. This isn't to say every person who possesses a tamarisk foci is an asshole in this way, but it would be fair to say they are more likely to hold their own opinions in the highest regard before any other.
These will be the people who work very hard at what they do, but never really make any real connections. The people you meet who will gruffly get the job done, but demand solitude or like minded individuals in order to work at all.
Let it be known that these individuals, no matter how strong they appear to be, will have at least one glaring weakness to them, and they may be extremely suseptable to failure if they confront it. Due to their stubbornness, this could very well be their downfall if they refuse help.
These foci will pair best with others who have connections to Tamarisk, and will likely pair worst with those who have willow, cottonwood, fruit tree, or other stereotypically sweet or less hardy woods.
