Desert willow
Chilopsis linearis
Bignoniaceae
Description
Desert willow is a small, loose, and often leaning tree in the Trumpet Creeper Family. When it is young the bark is smooth but becomes ridged with deep fissures as it matures.
The leaves are very narrow and willow-like. They are opposite and alternately compounded with points on the ends. Sometimes the leaves can be sticky and their length varies from 3 to 10 inches, but generally are around 4 inches long.
After heavy rains from May to September the showy, tubular flowers bloom on new wood. The flowers are usually pink or lavender in color, but can be white or dark rose. Desert willow's flowers are 1 to 3 inches long and will also have a purple stripe that leads to the pollen. Its fruit is a slender, woody pod that is 5 to 8 inches long and contains numerous flat, oval, and winged seeds with hairy tufts.
Habitat
Desert willow is found along well drained soils, dry beds, and streams from the western edge of the Texas Hill Country and west.
Images
Plant Characteristics
Flower Color: Pink, White
Seed Type: Fruit/Berry
Duration: Perennial
Stem Texture: Hairless/Smooth
Growth Habit: Shrub (Woody)
Leaf Shape
: Simple with Pinnate or Parallel Venation
Season: Warm
Distribution
: 05 - Cross Timbers and Prairies, 07 - Edwards Plateau, 09 - High Plains, 10 - Trans-Pecos
Distributions
Distribution refers to the ecological region in Texas that a plant has been found. You can also view a clickable map.
Collection: Brush and Weeds
