Facts About The Desert Willow

Botanical name: Chilopsis linearis
Common names: Desert willow, desert catalpa, and rosewood bean.
Description: A small, deciduous tree or large shrub that grows 15-40 feet tall. It has slender, twisting branches and a graceful, open crown. The leaves are narrow and willow-like, light green in color.
Flowers: Trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in clusters on the branches from spring to fall. The flowers are typically lavender, but can also be white, pink, or purple. They have a sweet fragrance that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
Fruit: Long, slender pods that contain brown seeds.
Habitat: Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in deserts, canyons, and washes.
Ecology: Important food source for hummingbirds and butterflies. The seeds are also eaten by birds and rodents.
Uses: Popular landscaping tree in arid regions because it is drought-tolerant and easy to care for. The wood is used for making furniture and crafts.
Attracts wildlife: The desert willow provides food and shelter for a variety of wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and bees.

Photo is "Desert Willow. Chilopsis linearis. Bignoniaceae." by gailhampshire is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Here are some additional interesting facts about the desert willow:

--The desert willow is not a true willow, but it is related to the catalpa tree.
--The tree is very drought-tolerant and can survive on as little as 10 inches of water per year once established.
--The desert willow is a pioneer species, meaning it is one of the first plants to colonize disturbed areas.
--The sap of the desert willow is poisonous and can cause skin irritation.
--It can grow up to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide.
--The desert willow is deciduous, meaning it loses its leaves in the winter.
--The desert willow is relatively pest- and disease-resistant.

Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis

Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis


Desert willow, that will grow as a bush or little tree, is at home throughout desert arroyos. An arroyo (creek in Spanish) happens to be an typically dried up creek bed or narrow gorge which briefly floods with water following heavy down pours. Every rainfall provides the desert willow a solid watering plus it reacts with a sudden discharge of new development and brand new flower clusters right at the end of its limbs. It might get 2 or 3 growing bursts throughout a damp summer season.

Desert willow can be propagated with seed, softwood cuttings or hardwood cuttings. Propagation with cuttings may be the only way to make plants with similar flower color to the parent plant. Plants created from seeds possess random blossom color. Desert Willow will grow as a deciduous good sized shrub or little tree that may achieve twenty five feet tall and twenty feet wide.

Perhaps even without having the well known green leaves throughout the wintry months, the shape of Chilopsis linearis is unique on the western horizon during the early evening hours. The limbs appear to zigzag their route to the edges of the leaf cover, when lengthy, thin, papery pods dangle decoratively and discharge their cherished seeds to eager birds through the entire winter months.

Desert willow has turned into a favorite scenery plant in the Southwest. It will grow quickly whenever frequently watered, but additionally can handle long stretches with no water which makes it a great low-maintenance plant. Plus, its gorgeous flowers enhance its overall appeal. The flowers are often creamy colored with a touch of purple, however cultivars are generally picked with colorings which range from white-colored to profound purple.

The desert willow shrub is usually selected and planted early in the year. The trees may be to some extent susceptible immediately after they are planted, therefore it will pay for people to let them have a complete summer to their 1st growth. Officially, the plants may endure without the need of watering when its roots are totally established, but when they get more water, they begin to develop sooner, therefore many people suggest watering them regularly till they get to an appealing size.