The Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis, is a flowering tree that is found in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and into Northern Mexico. It grows naturally along arid washes and arroyos, and is sold commercially in West Texas and elsewhere as an ornamental landscape plant.
The photo above shows the beautiful purple and white bell-shaped flower produced by these trees. As you can see from the Common Roadside Skipper, these plants provide nectar feeders access to needed food. Desert Willow flowers during May and June but will bloom in other months after a good rain. This picture was taken in late July.
The fruit is a capsule reminiscent of a been pod but these trees are not in Leguminosae also known as Fabaceae (peas and beans), but rather, they are in the family Bignoniaceae which includes the catalpa trees, trumpet-creepers, and cross vines.
The beautiful green narrow willow-like leaves are what give this plant its name.
On young trees, the bark is smooth like young willows and becomes thicker and more fissured with age.
Birds eat the seeds of these plants and bees make good honey from their nectar.
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