Desert willows, now in bloom, cover a large portion of Arizona with their gorgeous displays. This is the showiest time of the year for this tree. We traveled North to Payson over the Memorial Day weekend and glimpsed this tree in bloom all the way. Desert willows are most often noticed growing along arroyos, although they also succeed along roadways where they catch the water runoff. They do prefer the sandy washes but will grow most anywhere there is a sufficient water supply.

Close inspection of the blossoms reveals a lovely flower ranging in color from white to pink and lavender. If the color of the blossom is an important consideration when selecting a specimen, it is important to view the plant in blossom. This assures the plant will produce the desired color. When you see a specimen you admire, save the seeds. Propagation is simple and a full year is not required before seeds will sprout. Once seeds have matured in the pod, they will germinate as soon as they receive water, sun, and nutrients.

This deciduous tree is not so lovely in winter, although the drooping character of the limbs with many seed pods clinging to the branches creates an interesting silhouette. The dark bark of the tree is also a contrast to the other pale shades of desert winter. The desert willow is gaining recognition as an accent or specimen tree when landscaping. The very dark trunk of mature trees offers an interesting alternative. Its adaptability to various environments makes it useful and the willow shape offers graceful form. The leaves are a darker green on top with a gray-green underside, but the true beauty of this plant are the orchid-like blossoms which vary in size and color.

Tamarisk or Salt Cedar is not a recommended landscaping plant. It grows in similar conditions with the desert willow in dry washes and along streambeds. Its dense appearance with graceful mauve colored blossoms in spring may entice a gardener to use this tree when landscaping. This aggressive tree choked the Gila River and rendered the area useless for recreation purposes. The mass of salt cedar created such a barrier it was not possible to approach the bank since the plant invaded all useable soil. When the river flooded, it washed many of the trees away and people are again enjoying fishing, tubing, and canoeing along the river. The seedlings of the salt cedar, however, are already beginning to re-invade the river banks. The tree, introduced for erosion control, has become a weed and menace to all other native plant life. Even though the tree may appear attractive, please consider its cancer-like growth habits. It is messy and not considered landscaping material. Use a desert willow instead and potential future problems of the salt cedar can be avoided. The desert willow is a native plant and the tamarisk imported from China. Using the native plant is sensible and desirable!