How to Plant a Desert Willow
As its name suggests, the desert willow likes it hot and dry. Not a true willow, the desert willow (Chilopsis linearis, USDA hardiness zones 7 to 11) is a native of west Texas and the Edwards Plateau in Northcentral Texas, along with other areas in the Southwest, including the Mojave Desert in California, Nevada, Arizona and parts of Mexico. This tree is known by several common names including bow willow, willowleaf catalpa, flowering willow and mimbre.
The most important aspect of growing this native tree is to ensure that it isn't overwatered.
About the Desert Willow Tree
The desert willow is a small, deciduous flowering tree. While its growth rate is rapid when young, growth slows as the tree matures. You can grow the desert willow as a large shrub or a tree form.
Attractive to hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators, its flowers are showy and trumpet-shaped in colors of pink, lavender or white, resembling those of southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides, zones 5 to 9), which is closely related to the desert willow. In fact, horticulturists have combined the two shrubs to create a sterile hybrid cultivar called chitalpa (× Chitalpa tashkentensis, zones 6 to 9).
The desert willow’s spent flowers develop 8-inch seed pods that, if not removed, remain on the tree throughout the following winter.
Tip
Because the seed pods provide food for birds, avoid removing them until spring. The hybrid chitalpa is sterile, so it doesn't produce these pods.
In its native habitat, the desert willow grows in arroyos, which are dry creek beds that can fill with water a couple of times a year during heavy rains, providing this tree with the energy to put on new growth and to flower.
Planting a Desert Willow
Most importantly, choose a location in full sun with well-draining soil and provide enough space for this small tree to spread to its mature height and width of 15 to 20 feet. The desert willow is forgiving regarding soil pH, being able to grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soils.
Irrigation and Fertilization
Once established, the desert willow is drought tolerant and will need little or no irrigation in most climates. Although if the summer is very hot and dry, a good soaking once a month will help it retain green growth and vibrant flowers.
Warning
The most important aspect of growing this tree is to ensure that it doesn't become waterlogged, according to Texas A&M University. If your area experiences more than 30 inches of rain each year, plant the tree in a raised bed or on a slope.
This is an easy-to-grow tree that needs no fertilizer or special care as long as it’s growing in a hot, desert location.
Pruning and Flower Production
If you want your desert willow to develop a shrub structure with multiple branches, prune it regularly during its early years to encourage it to produce multiple trunks.
Tip
The flowers bloom on new wood, so the more you prune, the more flowers you will get.
Pruning it back by 1/3 its size when it is dormant further encourages more branching and flowers.
Related Articles
References
- North Carolina State Extension: Chilopsis Linearis
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Desert Willow
- U.S. Forest Service: Desert Willow (Chilopsis Linearis)
- Missouri Botanical Garden: × Chitalpa Tashkentensis
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Catalpa Bignonioides
- University of Arizona: Plant Profile: Desert Willow
Tips
- After the first year, reduce the watering frequency of the desert willow tree to once every two weeks throughout the summer and once each month during the winter.
Warnings
- Don't plant a desert willow in compacted or hard clay soil. Ensure that the soil can drain freely, and work into the soil some organic compost if the soil is nutrient-poor.
Writer Bio
I garden in the Pacific North west, previously Hawaii where I had an avocado orchard. I have a Master Gardeners certificate here in Eugene, Oregon.
