Desert Willow

Thinking of creating a small, dappled shade refuge in the middle of your drought-tolerant garden? Chilopsis linearis might just be the tree addition you are looking for!

Desert Willows are native to gravelly or sandy desert washes  and grasslands throughout the southwestern US and northern Mexico. Despite their common name, Desert Willows are not actually willows!  They are closely related to Trumpet Vine and Catalpa, but their long, narrow, dark green leaves are reminiscent of willow foliage. Slow to wake up and push new foliage in spring, these deciduous, multi trunked small trees make up for their tardiness with a show of dazzling blooms all throughout the hot summer months and into early fall.  Clusters of mildly fragrant, large trumpet shaped flowers ranging from soft blush pink to deep magenta with golden striping at the throat, provide an excellent food source for all manner of pollinator when most other plants and trees are taking a siesta.  Slender green bean like seed pods follow and persist through winter.  Chilopsis love hot, full sun, tolerating fairly inhospitable locations, and are hardy to at least Zone 7.  We’ve seen beautiful specimens in Denver though, proving that mature trees can withstand even colder temperatures than generally recognized.  Quite xeric once established, Desert Willows do appreciate deep, infrequent summer watering, and will extend their bloom in gratitude. They prefer lean, well-drained soil, so if you have  heavy clay in your yard, planting on a mound or a berm is recommended to increase drainage at the roots.  We have also found these airy small trees to be adequately deer resistant, especially after the first few seasons.  Prune in early spring to remove any damaged or dead stems and branches, and to encourage a more sculptural shape.

‘Bubba’  has notably large, bi-color magenta flowers – darker on the bottom lobe than the top, and while not totally seedless, it produces far less pods than others, which helps lengthen the floral show.  Other defining characteristics that set this selection apart are vigorous growth, a more upright habit reaching 15-25′ tall and around 10-15′ wide, and extra lush, slightly fatter foliage.  

A classic older selection, ‘Burgundy‘ has solidly deep magenta flowers, that really pop from a distance and look equally good with other jewel tones and pastels alike.  You can expect 10-15′ tall and wide in the short term, with heights reaching upwards of 20’ at maturity.

Chilopsis combine beautifully with other drought-tolerant, heat loving ornamental grasses and plants like Gaura, Oenothera, hybrid and native Salvia, Penstemon, Monardella, Teucrium and Perovskia among others, to create a vibrant, colorful garden that really shines during the heat of summer. For maximum enjoyment, consider placing a bench in the filtered shade of your Desert Willow, and delight in the frenzied show as hummingbirds and other native pollinators flock to your mini-oasis!