Family: Bignoniaceae
Compound: Chi lin
Synonyms: None
Geographic Origin: Southwestern US, northern MX
Characteristics: Large shrub to small tree with multiple trunks. Leaves are willow-like; linear, and glossy. They are arranged oppositely, alternately or whorled on the stem. Young bark is somewhat smooth and reddish purple. As bark matures it becomes rougher, grey-purple and then dark grey and ridged. Flowers are showy, white to pink with darker pink blotches on the bottom petals and some yellow striations in the throat.. Petals are fused to form a trumpet-shape with wavy fringes. There are cultivated forms with much darker pink/magenta flowers. Fruit/seed pods are long and narrow, turning brown and splitting when ripe. Seeds are papery and disperse in the wind.
Natural History: Grows up to 5,500ft (1740m) typically in or near washes or on river flood plains in silty, sandy or gravely soils.
Cultivation Notes: Often available in native plant nurseries, though the wild native form is less common than cultivars with dark flowers. Easily grown from seed. Seeds should be lightly raked into soil and kept moist in summer. They may drop their leaves in the winter.
For plant propagation information, click here
Ethnobotany: Branches and fiber used to make baskets and other items. Flowers and seeds are edible. Popular in landscaping in the southwestern US, sometimes hybridized with southern catalpa tree, another Bignoniaceae species to create “Chitalpa” which is used in landscaping
Citations:
SEINet Arizona - New Mexico Chapter
https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=Chilopsis+linearis&formsubmit=Search+Terms#
Calscape
https://calscape.org/Chilopsis-linearis-(Desert-Willow)
Southwest Desert Flora