very nice pic.. thx

ken

Thanks Ken I appreciate it. Texaslynn, you won't be disappointed by your new trees. My tree bloomed all summer the first year I put it in the ground. They are very drought tolerant, I don't water mine all winter and only water occasionally during the warm months. Here are a couple of pictures of the blooms after they have opened. Good luck with your new trees!
Evan
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Thanks, Evan! Do you know which variety yours is? It's gorgeous. I have two different varieties, Timeless Beauty and Bubba.

Texaslynn, I believe mine might be a Bubba as well, not 100% sure though. It starts blooming about 2 weeks later then my neighbors desert willow and theirs has lighter lavender almost white blooms, mine also blooms for 2 weeks longer at the end of the summer than theirs. They are fast growers in the summer and very low maintenance, that's why I like mine so much.
Evan

Flowers give it away as a catalpa-relative.

Beng - Yes, and the popular "Chitalpa" is supposedly a hybrid between DW (Chilopsis linearis) and a Catalpa. Bigger leaves, better sdhade.

My hummingbirds are going NUTS over the blossoms.

Do the Chitalpa hybrids do OK in the East?

Desert willows are available in many blossom colors and types. Some are half hardy depending on your zone and others can tolerate and thrive in even below zero weather. They are native in a wide swath from California across southern Nevada, southwest Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma and into parts of Texas. Most are very drought tolerant and bloom even more in the hot dry climates. We have many here in the Boise, Idaho area, and they can easily get 15 feet or more. Light pruning in the early spring helps to spur better blooming. You can also prune these trees and keep them at a certain heighth. Do not fertilize and water once or twice a month. Hummingbirds are drawn to them as well as an array of bumble bees.

Chitalpa trees should be ok in the east, although they do need to be protected from damaging winds. Their wood tends to be quite brittle, similar to the Catalpa. The blooms are stunning!!

•Posted by idahocactus 7A (My Page) on Sun, Feb 8, 15 at 22:13

Hi, are they tolerant of wet soil, like lots of rain and snow?

They can tolerate wet soil, but needs to be planted up on a raised 3 foot berm, so that the roots won't rot. You would have to check which part of your yard has the best drainage. And it also depends where you are and what zone you are in.

Hhhhmmmm. Mine is planted near my house, my roof has a wide overhang so the soil there is a little dry compared to the rest of the garden. But I wouldn't say it needs to be planted on a berm. I've seen one in a garden in Virginia that had less rain protection than mine and it was fine. Not a plant for a wet spot though.

The foliage never gets diseased even in my very humid summer weather. So that isn't a problem. Could be that the good air movement here helps.

Sounds like it will be okay there under the overhang. Is it on the west or southside? That will be the best. These plants are riparian, so keep that in mind.

Yes, it is on the south side of a building. Riparian in the SW is probably equivalent to me having a droughty summer.

This is what my desert willow looks like today after I trimmed it up.

Evan

You can also trim off the tiny branchlets and spent bloom stalks. This will help the desert willow to bloom even more. I have 6 large chilopsis that are along a driveway at a client's home here in the Valley, and I trim from 4 - 6 feet off the trees every year. This helps to produce thousands of blooms, and also keeps the tree to a more

manageable 12 feet.

To the growers of chilopsis [desert willows] anywhere in the United States, let me know as the season progresses, which ones have offensive odors and which varieties are being grown. There are many naturally occurring types across the

range of the chilopsis. I have seen flower colors from white, pink, purple to burgundy, and the flower size is quite variable, and some are clustering at the

end of the stems, while others produce flowers in single or double clusters.

I try not to top my trees, they grow too fast in the desert. If I top them the branches out grow the roots and the trees can blow over if you're not careful. For those that asked if they're ok with wet feet I would suggest against it, I have not watered my tree in 8 months and it laughs in the face of 120 degree temps in the summer.

Evan

I don't top the trees, it is more like selective pruning to keep a nice shape. They do grow very fast even in this most northerly part of the Great Basin Desert. There is more than enough heat in the summer to keep the trees happy. And the bees and the hummingbirds go nuts around them.