small tree
Desert willow
Chilopsis linearis
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Desert willow is a fast-growing deciduous small tree hardy in zones 7–10. It grows 15–25 ft tall and 12–20 ft wide, so plant it 14.5 ft apart. Give it full sun and little water once established. It flowers pink and purple in May to September. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. It is native to the Desert Southwest, Texas and the South-Central states and California. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Chilopsis linearis
- Plant type
- Small tree, deciduous
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; tolerates alkaline, rocky soil.
- Mature size
- 15–25 ft tall × 12–20 ft wide
- Spacing
- 14.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- May–Sep · pink and purple
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor
- Styles
- low water, natural, cottage
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
- Native to
- Desert Southwest, South-Central and California
- Pot size and price
- 5-gallon pot, typically $40–$70 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Train to one or a few trunks in late winter; remove seed pods if untidy.
Sources: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center native plant database; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Desert willow, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Bearded irisIris germanicaperennial · zones 3–9
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'perennial · zones 3–10
- Blue false indigoBaptisia australisperennial · zones 3–9
- Blue fescue 'Elijah Blue'Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'ornamental grass · zones 4–8
- Catmint 'Walker's Low'Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low'perennial · zones 3–8
- Dwarf mugo pinePinus mugo var. pumilioshrub · zones 3–7
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Desert willow suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants