The flora of Turkmenistan is remarkably diverse and rich. Yet among the abundance of species there is one representative of the local flora that invariably captures the eye and arouses genuine interest among all who visit the country. This unusual tree-like plant is called saxaul, and in Turkmenistan it grows in the sands of the Karakum Desert, which occupies nearly three quarters of the country’s territory and lies between the foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains to the south, the Khorezm Lowland to the north, the Amu Darya Valley to the east, and the channel of the Western Uzboy to the west, with a total area of more than 350,000 square kilometres, exceeding the territory of such countries as the United Kingdom or Italy.
Regarding the origin of the word “saxaul,” some scholarly works state the following: “The name of this desert plant, whose firewood produces intense heat, was pronounced in Old Turkic as ‘syuksyuk’ (soksok), and later, in the colloquial speech of the Turkic population of the Golden Horde period, as ‘seksevul.’”
Saxaul belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the amaranth family. It is perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert and even forms extensive thickets known as saxaul groves. Neither drought nor wind can harm it. The gnarled, twisted trunk of the saxaul is sustained by roots that penetrate the soil to depths of nearly thirty meters, capable of reaching even the most inaccessible groundwater and making this plant one of the most deeply rooted trees of the Eurasian deserts. Remarkably, the root pressure of saxaul reaches one hundred atmospheres, whereas that of an ordinary plant does not exceed three. The height of this plant usually ranges from two to three meters up to five meters. Saxaul is sometimes called “a tree that should not exist in reality,” as it can grow in areas where annual precipitation is less than one hundred millimetres and soil temperatures exceed +60 degrees Celsius. For most plants, such conditions are lethal.
Three species of saxaul are the most widely known, although as many as eight exist in the nature. Black saxaul is the tallest, reaching heights of seven to ten meters. It is distinguished by its dark grey bark and annual twigs with a salty taste. Black saxaul is also called leafless or solonchak saxaul, as its leaves are underdeveloped and appear as small tubercles or scales. The flowers of this species are small; it blooms from April to June and bears fruit in September. The trunk is gnarled and heavily branched, and in old trees it reaches a diameter of fifty to seventy centimetres.
White saxaul is a large shrub reaching heights of one and a half to two and a half meters, and sometimes up to five meters. Its leaves take the form of small scales. The bark of white saxaul is lighter than that of its black “counterpart.” It is considered the most beautiful among related plants due to its silvery-ash-coloured stems. This species is distinguished by exceptional endurance, capable of withstanding any drought, even the longest. The green and growing twigs of white saxaul serve as excellent, and sometimes even the only fodder for camels throughout the year. Camels are able to browse saxaul shrubs up to three meters in height and can obtain up to twelve kilograms of fodder mass from a single shrub. Sheep, however, have access only to dry leaves and twigs that have fallen to the ground, up to one kilogram per shrub. The nutritional value of white saxaul is very high. Unlike black saxaul, which tolerates even high concentrations of salt in groundwater, white saxaul does not favour saline subsurface moisture and under such conditions grows more poorly and may even wither.
Zaysan saxaul is the smallest species that emits a specific aroma that attracts animals. It grows as a creeping shrub one to two meters high, although it can occasionally reach heights of up to seven meters. The trunk of Zaysan saxaul is highly branched, and the plant often forms distinctive saxaul forests. This species grows best in areas where groundwater occurs at depths of five to thirty meters. Zaysan saxaul is also found on takyrs – hard clay plains in the desert formed by the drying of highly saline soils – but there it forms less robust and less branched shrubs. Camels consume the twigs of Zaysan saxaul more readily than those of white saxaul, and the fodder reserves of this plant in the desert are always more abundant.
Over time, the trunk of this unusual inhabitant of the desert dries out, but this occurs only when young shoots have become strong enough to ensure the plant’s survival. Saxaul has no true leaves. Instead, it bears thin green shoots that hang in clusters from the branches. Photosynthesis takes place directly in these green shoots, which in itself represents a radical evolutionary adaptation aimed at conserving moisture. In spring, the branches of saxaul are covered with small flowers; flowering usually begins in April, followed by the formation of small fruits that, falling to the ground in early autumn, give rise to new shoots. The seeds of the plant typically fully mature by November. Saxaul covered with fruits bearing yellow or pink wings appears as a true marvel and magically adorns the desert landscapes.
The lifespan of this tree-like shrub depends on its species. White saxaul lives up to thirty years, while black saxaul lives up to sixty. Throughout the year, camels and sheep in Turkmenistan can feed on saxaul groves, obtaining all necessary microelements from young shoots and branches. The needles of saxaul also serve as excellent fodder for representatives of Turkmen fauna grazing in the Karakum Desert. Saxaul readily regenerates after being browsed by animals, but following mass cutting it can disappear entirely, a fact that is important for all of us to remember.
Saxaul wood possesses a very high calorific value, nearly comparable to that of hard coal. Even when raw, it burns evenly, does not crack due to its low resin content, does not produce soot, and emits only a small amount of pleasantly scented smoke. Saxaul is ideal for grilling kebabs and for cooking in a cauldron – meat dishes and the famous Turkmen pilaf – since it provides stable, long-lasting and intense heat during combustion. It is therefore unsurprising that all these practical properties of saxaul wood made it extraordinarily popular among Turkmens, and in the past the plant was truly a strategic resource in regions where other sources of energy were unavailable.
In Turkmenistan, saxaul is used in forest reclamation by planting it in the form of shelterbelts that restrain the advance of the desert. The plant is one of the best sand stabilizers, protecting soil from wind erosion. The powerful root system of a single saxaul shrub is capable of holding up to four tons of sand, preventing the movement of dunes. One hectare of saxaul plantations successfully counteracts ninety percent of the mass of mobile sands. In addition, saxaul groves improve soil quality, retain moisture and slow down land degradation processes. In the fight against soil degradation, saxaul is recognized as a key plant in Central Asia. The roots and fallen branches of saxaul enrich the soil with organic matter, which under the influence of microorganisms is transformed into humus containing a wide range of nutrients essential for plant growth. It is not difficult to imagine what could happen in the case of indiscriminate cutting of saxaul for use as fuel.
Saxaul thickets are capable of lowering soil temperature by eight to twelve degrees Celsius and reducing moisture evaporation, essentially functioning as a natural climatic system. Like many plants of Turkmenistan, saxaul is also used in traditional medicine. The smoke from burning saxaul wood has a calming effect on the nervous system, while a decoction made from its needles is used for gastrointestinal disorders and infections.
Turkmen chemist scientists note the possibility of obtaining industrial raw materials from saxaul ash. Incidentally, in earlier times such ash was used as an alkali in the processing of animal hides. In addition, researchers reconstruct the climatic history of deserts over several decades by studying the annual growth rings of saxaul, obtaining reliable information on precipitation, droughts and temperature anomalies.
White and black saxaul are listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan, as well as in the Red Books of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Legislative bans on the cutting of saxaul for use as fuel exist in these countries, as there is a real threat of the complete disappearance of this plant. In addition to efforts to preserve saxaul groves, modern Turkmenistan is implementing large-scale projects aimed at ensuring the country’s environmental well-being, protecting the natural environment, fostering a careful attitude toward nature and preserving its biodiversity. The main goal of these environmental projects is to provide future generations with the opportunity to personally admire the full richness of the plant life of the Karakum Desert.
And finally, one more interesting fact. Contemporary environmental programs in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan employ saxaul plantings to stabilize the dried seabed of the Aral Sea, and today this constitutes one of the largest ecological rehabilitation projects in the world.