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Definition of desert willow
desert willow
Plural:desert willows
desert willow Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A drought-tolerant deciduous shrub or small tree (Chilopsis linearis) in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, cultivated as an ornamental flowering plant for its narrow, willow-like leaves and showy, fragrant, trumpet-shaped blossoms in shades of pink, lavender, and white.
Example
"The landscaper planted a desert willow in the courtyard to attract hummingbirds with its fragrant pink blossoms during the summer heat."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for desert willowWord Nuance & Usage
Despite its common name and slender, willow-like foliage, the desert willow is not a true willow (genus Salix), but rather a member of the trumpet-vine family (Bignoniaceae) closely related to the catalpa.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Desert willow. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/desert willow