Chilopsis linearis (desert-willow) ( )

Desert-willow is our only California member of the tropical bignonia family, the Bignoniaceae. The growth form of desert-willow ranges from a sprawling shrub to a small tree reaching up to 20 feet in height. The name desert-willow comes from the fact that its long and narrow leaves 4-6 inches in length, resemble those of a true willow. This species is largely restricted to low-nutrient gravelly washes in Sonoran Desert areas such as in the Coahella Valley and Anza Borrego Desert State Park-although it extends into scattered areas of the lower Mojave Desert. As with the other species described above, desert-willow loses its leaves for three to four months in winter. Large, showy pink-to whitish-flowers are produced each spring and make desert willow an attractive plant for desert gardens. The fruits of desert-willow are elongate pod-like capsules 4-10 inches in length which enclose flat wind-dispersed seeds with silky hairs tufted at each end. "California Desert Plants, Philip W Rundel, Robert J Gustafson, Michael E Kauffmann."