# The salty tree that killed an invincible prince I was writing a scene that takes place in palace courtyard roughly analogous to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which I actually don't know a lot about, so I tried to find some pictures and found out about some really cool plants instead. Specifically tamarisk trees, which are beautiful and apparently quite common in the Middle East. ## Fun Facts - Tamarisk trees are have a "feathery" appearance because of the small, scale-like leaves and the slim branches. - Tamarisk trees are very salt-tolerant and are therefore the only trees found on the shores of the Dead Sea. - Tamarisk trees secrete salt, which absorbs water from the air overnight. In the morning, the water evaporates, creating a cooling effect that makes the tamarisk tree very popular as a shade tree. - Tamarisk trees were used as memorials for great men in Biblical times. - Tamarisk trees produce pretty pink or white flowers during the winter. ## Persian Mistletoe There is a Persian epic poem that involves an otherwise invincible Prince, Esfandiar, who can only be wounded by a tamarisk arrow to the eye. It's really similar to stories like Baldur and the mistletoe or Achilles' heel. \[[Read More](https://iranicaonline.org/articles/esfandiar-1-son-gostasp)\] ## Date Companions A famous piece of Babylonian literature involves an argument between a date palm and a tamarisk, planted beside each other in a king's garden. At one point, the palm makes fun of the tamarisk for being used as a trash can. \[[Read More](https://doi.org/10.2307/1587050)\] ## Bow and Cup The Saka, a group of nomads from the Eurasian Steppe, used tamarisk wood and ibex horn to create powerful composite bows. They also used tamarisk wood and hemp to create cups. \[[Read More](https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000105703)\] ## Mail Marker In Samuel 22:6, Saul held court under a tamarisk tree atop a hill, which would have been visible for miles around, providing a sort of "address" so people could easily find him. \[[Read More](https://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/tamarix.php)\] <div class=infobox>If you found this interesting, you may also enjoy <a href=”https://eleanorkonik.com/religion-war-in-myth-cycles/>my article comparing religious texts</a>.</div> # Additional Notes - Pulls heavily from the [[tamarisk]] concept note.