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Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis

Other common name(s):

Flowering Willow, Willow-leaved Catalpa, Willowleaf Catalpa, Bow Willow, Flor De Mimbre, Mimbre

Family:

Bignoniaceae (Trumpet Creeper Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Limestone Cut Plain
Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley
Arid Llano Estacado, Llano Estacado
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks
Northern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

20
to
30
ft.

Spread

15
to
25
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Limestone, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Pink, Purple

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Larval Host, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Hummingbirds, Moths

Maintenance

Needs well-drained site;. To encourage blooming and avoid leggy branches, trim back during winter dormancy. Prune to raise canopy for walkways if needed; remove suckers. Early winter; trees produce seed pods Avoid excessive water and fertilizer, as that can lead to overly rapid growth, fewer blooms, and a weaker plant. Propagation: Seed, Semi-hardwood cuttings.

Comments

Blooms April-October. Open, airy form provides light shade for underplantings. Trumpet-shaped, 3″ long flower. Flowers and seeds provide food for wildlife. Larval Host: White-winged Moth.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHLI2. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Chilopsis+linearis&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=4973&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 6) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 283. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=34318#null, 8) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014.

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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