Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Watercolor from live specimen found along Sycamore Creek in the Mazatzal Mts., Maricopa Co., AZ, July 20, 1992.
TREE. Along desert washes that have a reliable underground water source
this tree can attain a height of 6 m or more. The drooping branches and leaves
give a willowlike appearance.
UNARMED
FLOWERS: Purple and pink tinged trumpets about 4 cm long.
LEAVES: Simple leaves, 10 cm-long, strap-shaped, thickened and leathery.
They have a shiny resin surface.
FRUIT: A long (15cm) narrow pod packed with cottony seeds.
RANGE: Widely distributed along streams, riparian areas, and washes with
deep alluvium and underground water source.
Wildlife: Buff-colored cocoons about 25 mm in length
are made by the inchworm moth, Eucaterva variaria.
The
adult moth is white speckled with black. Also, a spectacular hawk moth, Manduca
rustica, is known to use this plant in the larval stage.
Hummingbirds and large black carpenter bees, Xylocopa californica arizonensis, rely on the Desert Willow's flowers for nectar. Colorful leafhoppers known as sharpshooters can be found drawing sap from developing pods and shoots.