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Chilopsis
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) is the only species in its genus, a shrub or small tree from the southwestern US and Mexico, grown for its showy lavender to pink orchid-like flowers. It thrives in hot, dry conditions and needs little water once established.
Chilopsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants containing the single species Chilopsis linearis. It is known commonly as desert willow or desert-willow because of its willow-like leaves, but it is not a true willow – being instead a member of the catalpa family.
It is a shrub or tree native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is commonly seen in arroyos and along riverbanks.
Chilopsis linearis is cultivated for its large, showy flowers, and tolerance of hot, dry climates. Although the natural growth is a very irregular shape, it can be readily pruned into a conventional tree shape. A number of cultivars have been selected. Some, such as 'Rio Salado', have dark purple or magenta flowers.
Chilopsis may survive temperatures as low as 10 degrees F (-12 °C).
As a phreatophyte, it is well adapted to ephemeral desert washes and sandy streams. It can be found through much of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is usually found below 1,500 m (5,000 ft).
Parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine. It has been used to treat fungal infections such as candidiasis and athlete's foot, as well as wounds and cough.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Chilopsis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
