Maintaining Desert and Adapted Trees

Published July 17, 2023 at 10:29 AM MDT

***Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)***
Desert Willow is a small (20 to 30 ft or 6 to 9 m), loose, and often twisting and/or leaning tree in the Trumpet Creeper (Bignoniaceae) Family. Jan Wrede in Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill Country describes it as having “gorgeous, lavender-pink, trumpet-shaped flowers with willow-like leaves.” To know more about this plant visit: **https://rangeplants.tamu.edu**

On this week’s show, Denise, John, and Jan offer tips on how to care for your trees within El Paso’s hot climate. Within El Paso, many desert and adapted trees such as desert willows, mesquites, Mexican redbuds, and many more flourish throughout this harsh dry climate, providing benefits to the area and landscapes within the city. Denise will also provide more updates and information on the El Paso County Master Gardeners programs that will be available for anyone to attend.

In 1981, John White started the El Paso County Master Gardener Program, one of the first programs in Texas. There are now over 6,000 Texas Master Gardeners within 112 counties and have contributed over 400,000 hours of time and talent to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. You can start registering for their 12-week class course to get In-Person Training with other volunteers within the program.

For more information visit the El Paso County Master Gardner’s website for questions, tips, and upcoming calendar events.

Additional information/Links

For El Paso County Master Gardeners → https://txmg.org/elpaso/
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension → https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/

Originally aired on July 15, 2023