Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
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Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) can be grown either as a large shrub or pruned into a tree form. A good addition to a bird and butterfly garden, this is also an excellent xeric plant. It requires little water and tolerates full sun, heat, alkaline soil, sand, and clay. Desert Willow is drought tolerant, but occasional deep watering gives it better flowering & faster growth. It may look dead when dormant and is often pulled out by unknowing gardeners. For more information, see Growing Desert Willow on the Front Range | |
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Foliage is deciduous and fine-textured. The leaves are green, long, narrow and willow-like in appearance. | |
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Blooms showy and fragrant, ususally pink to lavender although there are also white and burgundy varities. They bloom from April until September or the first frost. Flowers are orchid-like, in racemes, similar to the closely related catalpa. | |
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Seed Pods are long and thin, similar to that of the catalpa. | |
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Bark is green on young stems, dark brown on older stems. | |
Photos: Judy Sedbrook
