Desert Wllow

One of the most colorful and seemingly necessary trees for any self-respecting xeriscape or southwestern landscape design has to be the Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis. Frankly this is an invaluable tree for our harsh desert climate in that it does three important things rather well. First, it provides an abundance of wonderful color with its streaked and veined, trumpet shaped flowers that now come in a wide variety of colors. Two, it is a wonderfully drought tolerant tree that can grow as wide as it does tall. Couple that with the fact that the tree is naturally the size of a large shrub and is now being produced and sold in these smaller sizes and you have a can't miss combination. Three is the fact that Desert Willow is a tremendously fast grower that can reach mature heights rather quickly. This means less care and cost of maintenance.

The tree gets its name because of the resemblance to the Willow tree ((Salix alba) in that it has a similar graceful, arching habit that is in and of itself very attractive. In our region the Desert Willow is a very popular ornamental tree that is found in great abundance. For the most part Desert Willows are relatively maintenance free but they are highly susceptible to aphids. This is very important to keep in mind when deciding where to plant the tree in the garden. When infested the tree produces an abundance of sap that can stain concrete and damage outdoor furniture. It also makes trying to grow anything underneath the tree difficult as well. So definitely keep a sharp eye out for aphids and ants on or near your Desert Willows. Ants farm and milk aphids much like humans farm and milk cows so if you happen to see ants on your Desert Willows then rest assured you have aphids. A 'green' solution to the aphid problem is a mixture of dish liquid and vegetable oil in equal proportions. Use a common backyard sprayer to apply.

Desert Willows are native throughout the entire southwestern region from Texas to California and Northern Mexico. Because of the tremendous popularity of this tree there are now many different cultivars available to choose from. The tree has a long blooming season that starts in late spring and goes until late fall or until the very first frost of the year. The tree it deciduous and extremely cold hardy. It will easily survive even the worst winters that our desert can dish out. Keep in mind that while the tree is extremely drought tolerant it will perform best with regular water. This makes it ideal for planting near lawn turf areas.

Another wonderful benefit of the Desert Willow, just like a number of other desert trees and shrubs, is that Desert Willow is very attractive to Hummingbirds. As I've mentioned before if you like using natural means in attracting Hummingbirds to the garden this tree will help accomplish that. The flowers of the tree are somewhat orchid-like, fragrant. and trumpet shaped, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches long and come in a wide variety of colors a with various styles of veining and streaking. As previously mentioned Desert Willow is fairly maintenance free but it does create some seed pod liter that should be periodically addressed. There may be the occasional sucker to deal with so patience is required if a single trunk specimen is desired. The tree is somewhat tolerant of most soils but try to avoid planting in overly rocky soils if possible.

All in all Desert Willows are a wonderful addition to any landscape for any number of reasons. The tree provides great color and interest, has a very attractive and graceful growth habit, is generally very drought tolerant and is, for the most part, relatively easy to maintain and care for. The tree comes in either single or multi trunked varieties and can be grown as a featured specimen tree highlighted in the garden with accent lighting. When it comes down to it it is easy to see why this tree is such a popular tree for Suthern California and our desert region.