Desert willow ‘Bubba’ is a showy, fast-growing, drought-tolerant ornamental tree with very decorative blooms. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this desert native.
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a small, deciduous ornamental tree native to the Sonoran Desert. Desert willow ‘Bubba’ (Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’) is a cultivar that offers several improvements over an already lovely tree.
Compared to the parent plant and other cultivars, ‘Bubba’ offers many advantages. It has thicker, glossier leaves, lusher foliage, and produces fewer seed pods.
From May through September, it is covered with large, fragrant pink and purple flowers.
All desert willows are naturally multi-trunked and are more shrub-like than tree-like without training, but desert willow ‘Bubba’ is taller and more tree-like than most.
It looks like it could have been taken straight from the tropics, but it’s an extremely tough desert tree that survives full sun and extreme heat and cold.
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ needs little water. In its native environment, the parent species survives on as little as 2” of annual rainfall.
It grows about 2 to 3 feet per year, which is important when you want a mature tree fast. If it’s received proper care, it can ultimately reach a height of 30 feet.
When in bloom, desert willow ‘Bubba’ attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Why I Like This Plant
- Exceptionally attractive native tree
- Fragrant, orchid-like flowers
- Low-maintenance, low water, no fertilizer
- Grows fast
- Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
- No thorns, non-allergenic, non-toxic
Things to Watch Out For
Be aware that while desert willow ‘Bubba’ is a stunner in the spring and summer, it is bare and doesn’t look like much from November through March. If you’re a snowbird or spend much of the summer away, you’ll miss the floral display, which is the main reason to plant this tree.
It is not a litter-free tree, and definitely not one to plant near a pool. Since it’s deciduous, you can expect to have leaf and flower litter.
If left unpruned, desert willow ‘Bubba’ will naturally grow into a large shrub, so plan to do some pruning to get and keep the shape you desire.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a desert willow to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 – 10. It’s extremely cold-hardy and can withstand temperatures down to a frigid -10℉.
Sun Exposure
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ thrives in full sun, but it will do just fine if it receives some shade from a building or neighboring tree.
Size and Growth Rate
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ is considered a moderate to fast grower. When mature, you can expect your tree to be 25’ high by 25’ wide. It is somewhat larger than the parent plant.
Soil
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ is not particular about soil and does well in any native desert soil including rocky soils low in organic content. Unlike many desert natives which need alkaline soil, desert willow ‘Bubba’ is tolerant of both acidic and alkaline soils.
It is perfectly happy in clay soil, although it won’t grow as fast or get quite as large.
Other Location Considerations
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ is a garden friendly tree. It has no thorns and is non-toxic so you can feel comfortable planting it where it might come in contact with people and pets.
However, it’s definitely not litter-free, so don’t put it near a pool or anywhere else you don’t want to deal with dead leaves and flowers.
Desert Willow ‘Bubba’:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Desert willow ‘Bubba’ |
| Scientific Name | Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’ |
| Origin | Sonoran Desert (cultivar) |
| Plant Type | Deciduous tree |
| USDA Zones | Zones 6 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To -10℉ |
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 25’ high x 25’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full sun, part shade |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic, non-allergenic |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, bees |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any tree in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant desert willow is in the fall. This gives your tree three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Desert Willow ‘Bubba’
Whether you’ve recently planted a new desert willow or have an existing one in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your desert willow in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new trees planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually extend the time between waterings.
How to Water Established Plants
As your tree becomes established, there are two watering factors to consider.
- First is how often to water. This will vary with the seasons.
- Second is how much water to give your tree with each watering. This depends on its current size.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for any desert tree, you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Trees: How Often? How Much?
Once your tree is established it won’t need much water and too much can be surprisingly detrimental. Too much water promotes overly rapid growth, resulting in a weaker tree that is prone to root rot. Surprisingly, it also results in fewer flowers.
Allow your tree to dry out between waterings, as this will encourage more extensive waves of blooms.
Should You Fertilize?
Since the desert willow ‘Bubba’ specimens you find at nurseries are often small, you might be tempted to hurry it along with fertilizer… but don’t. Just as too much water results in overly rapid growth, so does fertilizing.
Ironically fertilizing results in fewer flowers and a weaker tree that is more susceptible to wind damage.
For maximum blooms, don’t pamper your tree.
Don’t fertilize it or give it too much water.
How to Prune
In the wild, desert willows are multi-branched and look more like a shrub than a tree.
With the right pruning, a desert willow ‘Bubba’ can be shaped into a multi-trunk tree (preferred) or even trained to grow as a more conventional single-trunk “lollipop” tree (not recommended).
Note that pruning is not recommended for the first two to three years after you plant your tree. Waiting can be hard!
Civano Growers grows thousands of these trees for the TEP program. They recommend pruning in November.
If you are unsure about how to create the shape tree you want, I strongly urge you to hire a professional. Hiring an arborist (not a so-called “landscaper”) to get your tree off to the right start is an excellent investment that will result in a beautiful tree that will grace your yard for decades to come.
Since your desert willow ‘Bubba’ tree will try to revert to its natural shrub-like form, you can expect to see suckers growing at the base that will need to be pruned. This is a straightforward task you can do whenever they appear.
All desert willows produce some seed pods, but the desert willow ‘Bubba’ cultivar produces fewer than most. Some people like their looks, but if you don’t, you can remove them anytime.
How to Get a Desert Willow ‘Bubba’ Tree for $5
If you live in Tucson, desert willow ‘Bubba’ is often available as one of the offerings by the TEP (Tucson Electric Power) Trees for You Program. If you’re a TEP customer, every spring and fall you have the opportunity to order two 5-gallon trees for $5 each. TEP has distributed more than 150,000 trees since this program began.
Desert Willow ‘Bubba’ Cultivars
Desert willow ‘Bubba’ is not the only desert willow cultivar called “Bubba”. There are two “cultivar cousins” — ‘Bubba Jones’ and ‘Sweet Bubba’.
Chilopsis linearis ‘Sweet Bubba’ has magenta flowers that are larger than those of the other varieties. Additionally, it’s seedless, making it a great choice for those who don’t like the looks or mess of seed pods.
Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba Jones’ is a hybrid of two desert willow hybrids – ‘Bubba’ and ‘Warren Jones’. (It’s a hybrid squared.) It has brilliant bubblegum pink flowers.
Plant Lover Facts
Desert willow is not related to willow trees. It is called such because its leaves are willow-like — true-green, long, and thin. Ironically, willows are known for being thirsty, which doesn’t make a lot of sense when naming a drought-resistant desert tree.
Native to southwest US and northern Mexico, desert willows are at home in desert arroyos. An arroyo is a dry creek bed that temporarily fills with water after heavy rains.
Each rain gives the desert willow a good soaking, and it responds with a spurt of new growth and new flower clusters at the end of its branches. In their native habitat, desert willows can have two or three growth spurts during the summer.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
