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Desert Willow

The Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a small flowering tree grown for its orchid like flowers and tolerance to hot arid landscapes.


The Desert Willow is a New Mexico native tree that normally grows with multi-trunks to about 15′-18’ tall and wide. If pruned into a single-trunk tree it can grow much taller. This trees common name, Desert Willow, is given due to its willow-like leaves (photo). The Desert Willow is not related to other willows like Globe or Weeping.


The Desert Willow is well suited for the xeric landscape or to cool down a west or south facing wall. In particularly hot areas, areas with low annual rainfall or where water is limiting the Desert Willow makes a great specimen tree because of its tolerance to these conditions. In hot, dry areas the Desert Willow is sometimes used as the sole landscaping tree (photo).


It produces a light dappled shade due to its leaf and canopy structure that is ideal to cool down hot sun facing walls (photo).

It produces orchid like flowers that attract hummingbirds and blooms from summer until frost. Trees are available with flowers in various shades of pink, white flowers, or burgundy flowers.



Desert Willows are best grown in well drained soils with low water. Given low to regular water, about once weekly during summer, Desert Willows flower more frequently. Desert Willows are hardy to about USDA Zone 6.

Trees That Please Nursery has the Desert Willow available in 5 and 15 gallon containers. Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Written By:
Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have seen these trees at a hospital in Lubbock Texas and wondered what kind of tree it was. So glad to find this information with pictures here.
July 14, 2012 at 9:35 AM
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