The desert willow usually grows less than 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide on twisting, spreading trunks. Its fragrant, exotic blooms are ruffled and trumpet shaped, attracting bees and hummingbirds from spring through fall. Later in the season, flowers are replaced by 6-10 inch seedpods that hang from the branches. The tree’s long, slender, light-green leaves resemble those of the willow, but it is not a true willow tree. Sometimes it is called an upright shrub.

This popular, ornamental tree is low maintenance and suffers very little from pests or disease. It requires only an occasional deep watering and little pruning.