Grow desert willow in full sun and soil that drains. Desert willow is Chilopsis linearis. If a search for desert willow sent you to a golf course, that is a Palm Desert resort, not this tree.
Give it full sun, soil that drains, and little extra water once it roots
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least six hours a day | Do not hide it in shade if you want a full set of flowers |
| Water | Water weekly through the first growing season, then deeply every two to four weeks in heat | Do not keep the root zone wet after the tree is established |
| Soil | Sand, loam, or clay that drains; limestone is fine | Do not plant it in a low, soggy lawn |
| Room | Leave about 15 to 30 feet of height and 10 to 20 feet of spread | Do not crowd it against a wall that cannot take an open canopy |
Desert willow wants the hottest, brightest spot you have and a hole that drains after rain. [1] Water a new plant every week through the first summer so the roots go down. After that, water deeply every two to four weeks in heat, or skip the hose when summer rain already soaks the wash. Let the soil dry between waterings so the next flush of trumpet flowers can come. [2] desert willow is a deciduous small tree with long, narrow leaves and fragrant pink, lavender, or white flowers from late spring into fall. It is a desert-wash plant in the trumpet-vine family, not a true willow. Do not feed it a rich lawn dose. Extra fertilizer pushes weak, fast wood and fewer flowers. Growth is rapid while the plant is young, then it slows as the canopy fills in.
How quickly does desert willow grow?
A young plant puts on height fast in heat and sun. Growth slows once the canopy fills in. Shade and wet soil both slow it.
How much water after it is established?
Deeply every two to four weeks in summer heat, or none if rain already covers the month. Wet soil after the tree is established is the usual cause of root rot.
Is it drought-tolerant?
Yes, after the first year. Water weekly while the roots take, then ease off. Do not keep the soil wet.
Plant it at the same depth as the pot, with the crown a little high
Plant in fall, or in spring after frost, while the soil is workable. Set the root ball even with the surrounding soil, or a little high, so water runs away from the trunk. Leave about 10 to 20 feet between trees if you want a full canopy. [3]
- Plant in fall, or in spring after frost, in full sun on ground that drains.
- Dig a hole about two to three times as wide as the pot, and no deeper than the root ball.
- Set the crown a little above the surrounding soil. Backfill with the native soil. Do not bury the trunk in wet mix.
- Water after you plant, then water weekly through the first growing season until the roots take.
How far apart do I plant it?
Leave about 10 to 20 feet if you want a full canopy. Plant closer only if you will train it as a narrow screen.
Train it as a small tree, or leave it as a multi-stem shrub
This plant naturally makes several trunks. In the first few years, keep one to three trunks if you want a small tree, or leave the basal stems if you want a shrub. Flowers form on new wood, so a late-winter cut of about a third of last year's growth brings more bloom.
- Wait until late winter, before the new leaves push.
- Cut dead, crossing, or low shoots back to an outward side branch or to the trunk you want to keep.
- For a small tree, remove extra trunks and low suckers over the first few years. For a shrub, leave several stems from the base.
- To push more flowers, shorten last year's growth by about a third. Snip spent flower clusters in summer if you want another wave of bloom and fewer seed pods.
When do I prune desert willow?
Late winter, before new growth. Train the trunks while the plant is young. A hard cut of about a third of last year's wood brings more flowers, because it blooms on new wood.
Not a true willow — and not catalpa or chitalpa
Desert willow is named for the long, narrow leaves. It is in the trumpet-vine family, not a true willow. [4] True willow is Salix — see How to Grow Willow. Catalpa is a related tree with broad heart-shaped leaves — see How to Grow Catalpa. Chitalpa is a sterile hybrid of desert willow and catalpa; it has wider leaves and usually no seed pods. Desert olive is Forestiera — see How to Grow Forestiera. If the tag says Chilopsis linearis and the flowers are trumpets on willow-like leaves, you have desert willow.
Is desert willow a true willow?
No. The name is for the narrow leaves. This plant is Chilopsis, a desert-wash tree in the trumpet-vine family, not Salix.
How to start a new plant from seed or a cutting
Seed is the usual home start, and it needs no pretreatment. A cutting is the way to keep a named flower color, because seedlings vary.
Sow the seed
- Pick the long, brown pods in late summer or fall, before they split and drop the winged seed.
- Sow about a quarter inch deep in mix that drains. Fresh seed sprouts fastest. Dry seed kept in a cool place is fine until spring.
- Keep the mix barely moist, never soggy, in warm light until seedlings appear, usually in one to three weeks.
- Pot up seedlings when they have a few true leaves, and keep the mix draining until you set them in the ground.
Root a cutting
- Take a semi-hardwood cutting of this year's growth in summer, or a dormant hardwood cutting in winter. Use a stem that is not in flower.
- Stick it in a light mix that drains. Do not stand the stem in a jar of water. Water-rooting rots the cutting before roots form.
- Keep the mix barely moist in bright light until roots take, then pot it up and grow it on in full sun.
Can you grow desert willow from cuttings?
Yes. A semi-hardwood cutting in summer, or a dormant cutting in winter, will clone the flower color. Seed is easier, but seedlings do not come true.
Can you root a desert willow in water?
No. Stand the cutting in mix that drains, not in a jar of water. Wet stems rot before they root.
Set desert willow in full sun, at the same depth as the pot, with the crown a little high.
FAQ
Can I grow desert willow in a pot?
A large pot with a drainage hole can hold a young plant while you wait to set it out. The usual plant is in the ground, in full sun, where it can reach 15 to 30 feet.
Do you list Bubba or Timeless Beauty?
This catalog holds desert willow, Chilopsis linearis. Named selections such as Bubba and Timeless Beauty are extra shop names, not extra cards here. They still want full sun and soil that drains.
Does it lose its leaves in winter?
Yes. Desert willow is deciduous. The long seed pods often hang on the bare twigs. That is winter rest, not a dead tree. Do not wrap it.
Can I grow it indoors?
No. It is a dry-garden tree for full sun outdoors. Keep a nursery pot only until you can set it in the ground.
Is a golf course the same plant?
No. Desert Willow Golf Resort is a golf course. This tree is Chilopsis linearis, a desert-wash flowering tree.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chilopsis-linearis/ - [2] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHLI2 - [3] Plant Native -
https://plantnative.org/native-plants/desert-willow-chilopsis-linearis.htm - [4] U.S. Forest Service -
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/chilopsis_linearis.shtml
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors