Desert Willow

Chilopsis linearis is a deciduous small tree native to desert washes and arroyos of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Despite the common name, it is not a true willow but a member of Bignoniaceae, the same family as catalpa and trumpet vine. It produces large, trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, purple, lavender, or white from late spring through fall — one of the longest periods of interest of any woody plant in arid climates — and reliably draws hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies.

In the wild, desert willow colonizes dry stream channels that receive periodic flooding, which explains its tolerance of occasional deep irrigation and its sensitivity to waterlogged soil. It is fast-growing in warm conditions and responds well to hard pruning, used to establish either a single-trunk tree form or a multi-stem shrub. Established plants are highly drought tolerant and perform well in alkaline, sandy, or gravelly substrates. Mulching the root zone retains soil moisture and buffers temperatures at the cooler edge of its hardiness range.

Various Indigenous peoples of the Southwest, including Cahuilla and O'odham communities, used the flowers, bark, and pods medicinally. The flowers contain antifungal compounds — laboratory studies have confirmed activity against several fungal pathogens — and were applied traditionally to treat fungal skin conditions. The flowers are also edible and carry a mild sweetness.