General: Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a short, spindly, many branched subtree (small tree or large shrub) with leaves that resemble those of true willow trees: long, narrow, and drooping. The leaves are drought deciduous, dropping off when the soil dries.

Desert Willow are common components of wash communities in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zones, often forming thickets.

Family: Catalpa [Bignonia] (Bignoniaceae).

Other Names: desert catalpa.

Plant Form: Short, spindly, many branching tree or large shrub.

Height: Usually 6-10 ft, to about 15 ft.

Trunk: Crooked; bark black.

Leaves: Long (4-10 inches), narrow, gray-green, and slightly curved; drooping.

Flowers: Large, deep-throated tubular flower. Blooms in the spring and early summer.

Seeds: Small seeds produced in long, slender pods to about 14 inches long and round in cross-section.

Habitat: Sandy wash communities.

Distribution:

Elevation: To about 6,000 feet.

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