Non-native invasive plants upend ecological relationships and cause billions of dollars worth of economic harm. One of the most significant invasions in the southwest U.S. is that of saltcellar, a hybrid species between Tamarix chinensis, which is native to eastern China, and T. ramosissima, from the middle east and eastern Europe. This hybrid species was introduced to the US in the 1880's and planted throughout the southwest by ordinary citizens who enjoyed their flowers and by the US government to control erosion along riverbanks. Our research, which was pioneered by Dr. Soorang Lee, aims to understand the historical factors that have influenced the saltcellar invasion and to address whether its hybrid origin has contributed to its ability to genetically adapt to the wide range of climatic variation across its range in the US.