How to Write 柽 (chēng) — Meaning “tamarisk”

Think of a holy (圣) tree (木) that grows in dry areas — the tamarisk is often called the "sacred tree" in some cultures. You can also imagine the right side 圣 as a tall, thin person standing next to a tree, resembling the tamarisk's slender shape.

The left radical 木 should be written with a short horizontal stroke and a slanted vertical, while the right part 圣 has two horizontal strokes on top and a narrow bottom 王. Make sure the right side is not too wide, and keep the 木's last stroke (dot) from touching the 圣 component.

柽 (tamarisk) is a specific tree name, while 杆 means a pole or rod (like a flagpole) and 杈 means a fork of a tree or a pitchfork. Visually, 柽 has 圣 on the right, 杆 has 干 (dry/trunk), and 杈 has 叉 (fork). The pronunciations also differ: chēng vs. gǎn and chà.

柽 appears mainly in botanical or literary contexts, such as 柽柳 (tamarisk) which is a shrub used for sand fixation in northern China. It is not common in daily conversation, but you may see it in nature writing, traditional medicine, or place names like 红柽 (a type of tamarisk).

Common words containing 柽 include: 柽柳 (chēng liǔ) — tamarisk; 柽木 (chēng mù) — tamarisk wood; 红柽 (hóng chēng) — tamarisk.