Description

The desert willow is one of the more horticulturally impactful discoveries from the deserts of the Southwest. It has proven to be an attractive and extremely hardy garden plant in many settings well outside its native range. It naturally grows as a multi-trunk tree to about 25 feet with lance shaped leaves over smooth silver-gray bark. The ‘Lucretia Hamilton’ selection is notable for its smaller size at about 18 feet. Desert will is also appreciated for the large, trumpet=shaped flowers that cover the plant in spring. In the species the flower color ranges from white to a deep burgundy. The ‘Lucretia Hamilton’ selection has deep burgundy flowers. All desert willows tolerate a range of conditions and are winter deciduous. Lucretia Breazeale Hamilton was an illustrator of Southwestern flora in the twentieth century.