More properly called “desert catalpa,” this tall shrub or small tree, 6
to 15 feet high, has willow-like leaves, spreading branches, and a
short, crooked, black-barked trunk. The violet-scented flowers usually
appear from April to August, often after the start of summer rains. They
are replaced by long, slender seed pods that remain dangling from the
branches for months. Mexicans make from the dried flowers a tea that
they believe has considerable medicinal value. Desert-willow is usually
found along desert washes below 4,000 feet from west Texas to southern
California and northern Mexico. It is frequently cultivated as an
ornamental because of its attractive orchid-like flowers.
_Chilopsis linearis_ Bignonia Family
[Illustration: DESERT-WILLOW]