Species Brief
Chilopsis linearis, desert-willow
Written
June, 2026
Contributors
Ilana L. Abrahamson - 1st Compiler, Taryn R. Brahmsteadt - 1st Editor
Abrahamson, Ilana L., compiler. 2026. Species Brief: Chilopsis linearis, desert-willow. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-briefs/chilin
Scientific Name
Chilopsis linearis
Common Names
desert-willow
bow willow
catalpa willow
desert catalpa
desert willow
desertwillow
false-willow
Flor de Mimbre
flowering-willow
flowering willow
jano
mimbre
willowleaf catalpa
FEIS Lifeform Type
Shrub
Tree
Kingdom
Plantae
Class
Magnoliopsida (Dicot)
Order
Scrophulariales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Chilopsis
Nativity
Native
Invasiveness
Noninvasive
This Species Brief is a concise summary of the biological, ecological, and fire‑related characteristics of an individual species derived from a Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) Species Review. Table 1 is derived from a standardized template and highlights these characteristics.
| Attribute | Characteristic | Justification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological characteristics | |||
| Life form | Tree; Shrub | Desert-willow is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, typically 3 to 7.5 m tall but sometimes up to 12 m. It is a subcanopy tree in mixed-deciduous communities and a canopy species in shrublands or short-statured woodlands. | FEIS: Botanical Description; Stand Structure [1] |
| Typical lifespan | 51-100 years* | The source gives only a maximum lifespan, stating desert-willow may live as long as 100 years. No typical or average age is reported, so this range is inferred from that maximum. | FEIS: Stand Structure [1] |
| Life cycle | Perennial | Desert-willow is a deciduous tree or shrub that may live up to 100 years. | FEIS: Botanical Description [1] |
| Drought tolerance | Low* | Desert-willow is an obligate outwash or riparian species restricted to moist areas within its arid climate. It is somewhat drought intolerant, and copes with drought by reducing transpiration and/or shedding leaves during dry periods. | FEIS: Site Characteristics [1] |
| Rooting depth | Deep | Desert-willow has a taproot and is deep rooted. Horizontal roots extend as far as 15 m. | FEIS: Botanical Description [1] |
| Bark thickness at maturity | Thin | The bark is very thin (<0.6 cm) and provides little protection from fire. | FEIS: Botanical Description; Immediate Fire Effects [1] |
| Sheds low branches | Rarely/No*; Insufficient information | Desert-willow is often shrubby, with several stems arising from the root crown. The source does not provide explicit information about shedding of low branches. | FEIS: Botanical Description [1] |
| Reproduction and Regeneration | |||
| Adventitious buds | Root crown | Desert-willow sprouts from the root crown after top-kill by fire, flood damage, or cutting. | FEIS: Vegetative Reproduction and Regeneration; Fire Adaptations and Plant Response to Fire [1] |
| Time to reproductive maturity | Insufficient information | The source does not provide explicit information about time to reproductive maturity. | FEIS [1] |
| Soil seed bank longevity | Transient (<1 year) | Desert-willow has a transient, soil-stored seed bank. Seeds are not dormant and probably remain viable only until late in the spring following dispersal. | FEIS: Seed Banking; Germination and Seedling Establishment [1] |
| Serotinous cones | N/A | This attribute applies to conifers. Desert-willow's fruit is a slender capsule with wind- and water-dispersed seeds. | FEIS: Botanical Description; Seed Dispersal [1] |
| Seed dispersal mechanism | Wind; Water | The hairy seeds are dispersed by wind and water. Dispersal coincides with winter and spring floods. | FEIS: Seed Dispersal; Seasonal Development [1] |
| Seed dispersal distance | Insufficient information | The source does not provide explicit information about seed dispersal distance. | FEIS [1] |
| Optimal conditions for seedling establishment | Bare soil*; Sun; Shade | A moist substrate is required for germination, and flooding and light shade promote germination and recruitment. While not explicitly stated, it likely establishes on bare soil after floods. | FEIS: Germination and Seedling Establishment [1] |
| Successional Status | |||
| Shade tolerance | Moderately shade tolerant* | Desert-willow is most common in open areas, although it is somewhat shade tolerant and can establish near parent plants. | FEIS: Successional Status [1] |
| Successional status | Early | Desert-willow typically occurs in riparian communities where regular flooding is the primary disturbance. It also occurs in early postfire environments. | FEIS: Successional Status [1] |
| Fire | |||
| Primary fire response(s) or adaptation(s) | Recover/Resprout; Recruit* | Desert-willow sprouts from the root crown after top-kill from low- to moderate-severity fire and may also establish from seed. Because the seeds are wind- and water-dispersed, desert-willow may establish from seed after fire on moist sites. | FEIS: Fire Adaptations and Plant Response to Fire [1] |
| Germination is fire stimulated | Rarely/No | Seeds are not dormant and germination is tied to moisture rather than fire cues. | FEIS: Germination and Seedling Establishment [1] |
| Flowering/fruiting is fire stimulated | Rarely/No | Flowering is triggered by winter and summer rains, and flower and fruit production are positively associated with precipitation. Reproduction is related to rainfall, not fire cues. | FEIS: Seasonal Development; Seed Production [1] |
| Season when it is most sensitive to fire | Insufficient information | Desert-willow sprouts after topkill, and sprout mortality may be high during hot, dry periods. However, the source does not explicitly address sensitivity to fire by season. | FEIS: Fire Adaptations and Plant Response to Fire [1] |
| Plant flammability | Insufficient information | Information on the flammability of desert-willow was lacking in the literature. Desert-willow may have less canopy fuel than some associated species. | FEIS: Fuel Characteristics [1] |
| Early colonizer/recolonizer of burned or disturbed sites | Frequently | While few studies quantify desert-willow's response to fire, it can occur in early postfire environments. It sprouts after top-kill by fire, and may also establish from seed. | FEIS: Fire Adaptations and Plant Response to Fire [1] |
| Effect of fire exclusion on population | Insufficient information | Information on historical fire regimes in riparian areas of the Southwest is limited due to lack of data, and the variability of historical fire regimes within and among desert riparian areas is not well known. Historically, sparse surface fuels and the variable patchiness of desert plant communities probably limited fire size, severity, and intensity, particularly in riparian zone. | FEIS: Fire Regimes [1] |
| Is this species typically managed with prescribed fire? | Rarely/No* | Prescribed fire may be used in southwestern riparian areas to promote native vegetation and reduce invasives species, but little information was available on its use in riparian plant communities of the Southwest. One study recommends against using prescribed fire in late-successional riparian woodlands of the Southwest. | FEIS: Fire Management Considerations [1] |
| Predominant historical fire frequencies of ecosystem where it most commonly occurs | Frequent*; Infrequent* | Historical fire intervals vary in the washes and riparian woodlands where desert-willow occurs. LANDFIRE models classify the cottonwood-willow communities (Warm Desert Riparian Systems) where it occurs into a frequent group (under 35-year intervals, larger rivers) and an infrequent group (over 200-year intervals, smaller desert stringers). Asterisks indicate that there is substantial uncertainty regarding historical fire regimes in these communities. | FEIS: Fire Regimes [1] |
| Predominant historical fire severity where it most commonly occurs | Low*; Mixed*; Replacement* | Most fires were likely patchy and of low severity given the patchiness of desert vegetation, though mixed- and high-severity fires likely occurred as well. LANDFIRE assigns cottonwood-willow communities (Warm Desert Riparian Systems) as both mixed-severity and replacement-severity regimes. Asterisks indicate that there is substantial uncertainty regarding historical fire regimes in these communities. | FEIS: Fire Regimes [1] |
| Predominant historical fire regime group where it most commonly occurs | 5*; 1* | Historical fire regimes vary in the washes and riparian woodlands where desert-willow occurs. LANDFIRE models classify the cottonwood-willow communities (Warm Desert Riparian Systems) where it occurs in fire regime group 1 (<35-year intervals, larger rivers) and fire regime group 5 (over 200-year intervals, smaller desert stringers). There is substantial uncertainty regarding historical fire regimes in these communities. Asterisks indicate that there is substantial uncertainty regarding historical fire regimes in these communities. | FEIS: Fire Regimes [1] |
| Alters historical fuel characteristics of ecosystems where it occurs | Rarely/No | Desert-willow is a native component of riparian communities. Altered fuel loads and fire regimes are primarily due to nonnative invaders such as tamarisk and Russian-olive rather than to desert-willow. | FEIS: Fuel Characteristics; Fire Management Considerations [1] |
1. Fryer, Janet L. 2022. Chilopsis linearis, desert-willow. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/chilin
Last updated August 20, 2026