Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Burgundy Desert Willow
Burgundy Desert Willow is a named variety of the native desert willow, picked for its burgundy to deep purple trumpet flowers. Because it is a named variety, you know the flower color before you plant. It blooms from spring into fall, and hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visit all season. It grows fast on low water into a light, airy tree with long, narrow leaves.
Best for: a set flower color in a native tree, a hummingbird and bee garden, and light summer shade on a hot west or south side.
Seed-grown desert willows bloom in whatever color the seed gives, from white to pale lavender to pink. This named variety is grown for burgundy to deep purple flowers, so the color is known before you plant.
Hummingbirds work the trumpet flowers, and bees and butterflies visit too. Flowers open soon after the leaves in late March or April and keep coming into fall with deep summer soaks.
The long, narrow leaves give light, filtered shade. It handles heat and reflected heat, so it can go on a west or south side. The leaves drop in winter and let the sun back in.
Desert willows can hang thin brown seed pods 4 to 10 inches long through winter. It stands bare for several months each winter. Root suckers need regular trimming, and soggy soil leads to weak growth.
- Row of trees12-20 ft apart
- Trees with room to spread20 ft or more apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly in summer by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep at the canopy edge about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year.
Left alone it grows as a large shrub. For a tree shape, remove base suckers and the lowest limbs in spring. Never take more than a quarter of the leaves in a year, and finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Too much water or soggy soil gives weak growth, fewer flowers and root rot. Feeding is usually not needed and can also mean fewer flowers.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What color are Burgundy Desert Willow flowers?
The trumpet flowers are burgundy to deep purple. Seed-grown desert willows vary from white to pink and lavender, so pick this named variety if you want the darker color.
How is it different from Desert Willow, Sweet Bubba and Bubbalicious?
Regular desert willow is grown from seed, so flower color varies from tree to tree. Sweet Bubba is a seedless variety with magenta flowers. Bubbalicious is another named selection of the same native tree.
Does it make seed pods?
Desert willows set long, thin brown pods about 4 to 10 inches long after the flowers, and many hang on through winter. You can clip them off whenever you like.
How fast does it grow?
It grows fast when it gets water, and with regular summer water a desert willow can put on 2 to 3 feet a year. Water it less and growth and flowering both slow down.
How big does it get?
Plan on about 15 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide, with water making the biggest difference. Left alone it grows as a large shrub with several stems, and pruning turns it into a tree.
How often should I water it?
Soak it deeply every 5 to 7 days for the first year. After that, water deeply every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter.
When does it bloom?
New leaves come out in late March or April, and flowers follow soon after. It keeps blooming through summer and into fall, and deep summer soaks keep the flowers coming.
My desert willow has no leaves. Is it dead?
No, a bare desert willow in winter is normal. It drops its leaves in late fall and can stay bare until about April. Wait for new leaves before you prune anything.
How cold hardy is it?
Desert willow is hardy to about 0°F and grows wild up to about 5,000 feet. Valley winters are no problem, so it needs no frost cover.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds come for the trumpet flowers, and bees and butterflies visit as well. Deep summer soaks keep the flowers, and the visitors, coming into fall.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It handles heat and reflected heat, so it can go on a hot west or south side. It shades that side in summer and lets the sun through in winter.
How do I prune it into a tree?
Each spring, take off the lowest limbs and the suckers from the base until the trunk is as tall as you want. One trunk or several both work. Keep pulling suckers, or it heads back toward a shrub.
Burgundy Desert Willow for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Burgundy Desert Willow is a named variety of the native desert willow with burgundy to deep purple trumpet flowers from spring into fall. It grows fast on low water and handles Valley heat and cold. This page covers color, size, spacing, watering, pruning and winter looks, and how it compares with other desert willows.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is a Burgundy desert willow?
It is a named variety of the native desert willow grown for burgundy to deep purple trumpet flowers. Seed-grown desert willows vary in color, while a named variety gives a known color.
How big does Burgundy desert willow get?
Plan on about 15 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. Trees with more water grow bigger. Without pruning it grows as a big multi-stem shrub.
How far apart to plant Burgundy desert willow
Space trees in a row about 12 to 20 feet apart. Trees that should spread fully can go 20 feet or more apart.
How often to water a desert willow in the Valley
Water deeply every 5 to 7 days the first year. Once it is rooted, a deep soak every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter is enough.
When does Burgundy desert willow bloom in Phoenix?
It leafs out in late March or April, and flowers follow soon after. Blooming carries on through summer and into fall before the leaves drop for winter.
Burgundy desert willow vs Sweet Bubba
Burgundy has burgundy to deep purple flowers. Sweet Bubba is a seedless variety with magenta flowers. Both are named varieties of the same native tree.
Is desert willow good for hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the trumpet flowers from spring into fall, and bees and butterflies come too. Deep summer soaks keep the flowers coming.
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