Consulta Plantas

Care of the shrub Chilopsis linearis or Desert willow

The genus Chilopsis, family Bignoniaceae, includes a single species of tree or shrub native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Common names: Desert willow, Desert-willow.

They are shrubs or deciduous trees that reach 8 meters (26.24 feet) in height. The leathery leaves resemble those of Nerium oleander. They produce attractive and scented pink flowers (sometimes purple) with yellow and white parts with a lipped tubular shape. They bloom in spring and can do so from the first year of life.

These fast-growing plants are used in groups, as isolated specimens, as windbreaks or in pots for terraces and patios. They are ideal for gardens by the sea.

Chilopsis linearis needs full sun or light shade exposure. It prefers a warm climate but it resists frosts of -15 ºC/5 ºF (they can lose their leaves and sprout again in spring).

The soil should be very well drained, sandy and light.

Water regularly in summer waiting for the substrate to dry; they resist drought.

Fertilize with nitrogen-rich mineral fertilizer in early summer.

Prune dry branches and wilted flowers after flowering.

They are plants resistant to pests and diseases that only fear excess watering.

They propagate by woody cuttings in late autumn, semi-woody cuttings in summer and by seeds sown in spring; they germinate in 2-3 weeks.

Images of the shrub Chilopsis linearis or Desert willow