# Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)

> Not a true willow but a relative of trumpet vine, with long narrow leaves and fragrant pink-to-white orchid-like flowers from late spring through fall that hummingbirds love. It grows fast to 15-25 feet with an airy, often crooked multi-trunked form and casts light shade. Excellent for hot, dry, sunny spots.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/chilopsis-linearis · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Flowering willow, Mimbre
- Family: Bignoniaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 6 m; spread 5 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 100 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 7 to 11
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Well-drained; rocky, sandy, caliche or limestone soils; intolerant of wet soil
- Native range: Desert Southwest from south-central Texas west to southern California and northern Mexico

**Benefits:** Flowers, Pollinators, Drought tolerant, Fits small spaces, Holds soil, Fast canopy

**Good for:** Small yard, Street tree, parks

**Watch out for:** No major cautions

## Care

Plant in full sun and well-drained soil; let the soil dry between waterings, since too much water and fertilizer give weak growth and fewer flowers. Prune in the first few years toward one or a few trunks, and cut back lightly in winter to encourage new flowering wood. Remove suckers and spent pods if you want a tidier look.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** United States (Also native in: AZ, CA (USDA PLANTS distribution)); NM, United States; TX, United States
- **Recommended:** Phoenix, AZ, United States (On the SRP Shade Tree Program tree list); Los Angeles, CA, United States (On the City Plants (Los Angeles) Street Tree Species List); Sacramento, CA, United States (On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list); San Jose, CA, United States (On the Our City Forest Community Nursery tree species list); Austin, TX, United States (On the City of Austin Grow Green native and adapted plant list (Watershed Protection). Listed as 'Desert Willow'; very low water needs, provide well-drained soil.); Dallas, TX, United States (On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/CHLI2
- https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHLI2
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chilopsis-linearis/
- https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/plant-guide/desert-willow
- https://www.treefolks.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NeighborWoodsTreeMenu-2026.pdf
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/chilin/all.html