| Scientific Name |
Chilopsis linearis (Not a true willow; member of the Bignonia/Trumpet Vine family) |
| Foliage: Deciduous |
Deciduous multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree; airy, open, weeping canopy habit.
Leaves: Opposite or alternate, bright green, narrow, linear leaves (4–12 inches long, 1/3 inch wide) resembling true willow foliage; light green color shifts to soft yellow in autumn.
Flowers: Showy, 1.5–2 inch fragrant, trumpet- or orchid-shaped blooms with ruffled edges; shade ranges from pale pink, magenta, burgundy, to violet with yellow nectar throat streaks; blooms continuously late spring through autumn.
Fruit: Long, slender, pencil-like woody seed pods (6–12 inches long) that mature from green to dark brown and persist through winter.
Seeds: Flat, light brown seeds with hairy, fringed wings designed for wind dispersal.
Bark: Smooth and gray on young stems; darkens to dark brown-gray with shaggy, deeply furrowed ridges on mature trunks.
|
| Life Span: Perennial |
40–100+ years |
| Mature Height |
15–25 ft |
| Mature Width (Spread) |
10–20 ft |
| Growth Rate |
Fast (2–3 ft per year) |
| USDA Zone / Chill Hours |
Zones 7a–11b (Cold-hardy down to 0°F to 10°F / -18°C to -12°C); Requires ~100–200 winter chill hours |
PLANT CARE & CHARACTERISTICS
Light Requirements: Full Sun (Requires 6–8+ hours of direct sunlight daily for heavy blooming and sturdy branch structure).
Water Requirements: Extremely Low; needs light supplemental water while establishing, then survives on natural rainfall alone.
Drought Resistance: Exceptional (Deep taproot system thrives in severe desert drought).
Soil Type: Highly adaptable; thrives in lean, nutrient-poor, sandy, gravelly, or alkaline soils; pH 6.0–8.5; strictly demands sharp drainage and cannot tolerate waterlogged clay.
Deer Resistance: Moderate to High (Bitter foliage is typically ignored by browsing deer and rabbits).
Pest/Disease Resistance: Exceptional resistance to heat, drought, and desert conditions; susceptible to root rot and fungal leaf spot in humid climates or overwatered sites.
Pollination: Insect and Bird-pollinated; major attractor for hummingbirds, carpenter bees, honeybees, and butterflies.
Harvest: Flowers and leaves historically harvested for traditional herbal teas; seed pods cut for dried floral arrangements
Yield: Heavy, continuous floral display throughout the hot summer months
Storage/Shelf Life: Dried flowers store up to 1 year in an airtight container in a cool, dark place
Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring while dormant to train a central leader, raise the canopy, or remove low suckers. Blooms on new growth ("current season's wood"). Light deadheading during summer encourages secondary blooming.
