VeraScape
Deciduous treeSmall spaceSpecimenDrought tolerantPollinatorsNativeFragrantFast growing

Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis

A Southwestern native small tree with willowy leaves and fragrant, ruffled trumpets in pink to purple from late spring through summer, for hummingbirds and bees. It's very drought tolerant and cold hardy, and the more you prune in winter, the more it blooms. It self-seeds freely, so watch for seedlings near wild areas.

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Desert Willow: whole plant
Photo: Almapayokels, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mature size
17 × 12 ft
5.5 × 4 m, tall × wide
Hardiness
Zones 7a–10b
USDA
Sun
Full sun
Water
Dry to medium
Blooms
May–Sep

Desert Willow at its mature size

A mature Desert Willow grows 12 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, taller than most people.

Drawn to scale beside a 5 ft 9 in person. With VeraScape, you see it at this size in your own yard.

Typical mature size, unpruned. Sources: NC State Extension, San Marcos Growers.

Photos

Desert Willow: whole plant
Whole plant · Almapayokels, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Desert Willow: flowers
Flowers · Pamkel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Desert Willow: whole plant
Whole plant · Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Desert Willow: flowers
Flowers · User:Dhileas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Growing Desert Willow

Grows well in
The Plains and Mountain West, the desert Southwest, and California.
Growth rate
Fast
Good for
Small space, specimen, drought tolerant, pollinators, fragrant, and fast growing
Leaves
Drops its leaves in winter
Native to
Southwestern United States and Mexico

Spacing

VeraScape spaces plants so their grown canopies just touch. For Desert Willow, that’s about 12 ft apart, center to center.

Place a row in your own yard and VeraScape spaces them at their mature width, so you can see whether they’ll crowd the walk.