Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chitalpa
Chitalpa is a fast-growing cross of desert willow and catalpa with a light, open canopy. From late spring into summer it carries clusters of white to pink trumpet flowers that hummingbirds, bees and butterflies come to. It grows about 25 to 30 feet tall, drops its leaves in winter to let the sun through, and handles Valley cold with ease. The flowers are sterile, so it drops no seed pods.
Best for: summer flowers for hummingbirds and bees, fast light shade away from hot west walls, and winter sun through bare branches. A fast tree that drops its leaves in winter and needs more summer water than a desert willow.
Clusters of white to pink trumpet flowers open from late spring into summer. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies come to them for months. The flowers are sterile, so there are no seed pods to rake up.
It grows fast to about 25 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, with an open, airy canopy that throws light shade. Plant trees about 20 feet or more apart. Keep it away from hot west walls, where the thin canopy leaves the trunk to sunburn.
It drops its leaves in winter, which lets the sun reach the house and patio in the cool months. It is hardy to about -10°F, so Valley winters do not hurt it.
Nearly all chitalpas carry a bacterial leaf scorch that browns leaf edges and can cause branch dieback. The thin canopy leaves the trunk prone to sunburn against reflected west heat. It needs much more summer water than desert willow.
- Tree to tree20 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. Keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years.
It needs regular summer water, much more than desert willow. Weekly summer soaks keep it looking best. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. Water at the drip line, not the trunk.
Take off the nursery stake at planting. Stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball with soft, wide ties, and remove them after about a year.
Prune in winter while the tree is bare. Thin selectively, and do not open the canopy heavily, since the trunk sunburns. Never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year.
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.
Does chitalpa attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Its trumpet flowers draw hummingbirds, bees and butterflies from late spring into summer.
How big does chitalpa get?
It grows about 25 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Plant trees about 20 feet or more apart, center to center.
How fast does chitalpa grow?
It grows fast, and a young tree can go from person height to house height in about two years with good water. Give it room from the start.
How often should I water chitalpa in Phoenix?
Water a new tree every few days at first and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first years. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter.
Why are the leaf edges turning brown in summer?
That is most often bacterial leaf scorch, which nearly all chitalpas carry. It browns leaf edges and can cause branch dieback, and there is no cure. Keep the tree watered on a steady schedule and prune out dead branches in winter.
What is the white powder on the leaves?
That white powder is powdery mildew. It shows up mainly in wet, cool spring weather, which is uncommon in the Valley, and fades as the weather dries.
Can chitalpa go on a west wall?
It is better kept away from hot west walls and reflected heat. Its thin canopy leaves the trunk prone to sunburn, so plant it where it misses the hottest afternoon glare.
Is chitalpa cold hardy in Arizona?
Yes, it is hardy to about -10°F. It drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring, so no frost cover is needed.
Does chitalpa drop seed pods?
No. Its flowers are sterile and set no fruit, unlike desert willow, so there are no pods to clean up.
What is chitalpa?
It is a cross between desert willow and catalpa. It gets its narrow leaves and heat tolerance from desert willow, and its need for more summer water from catalpa.
How do I prune chitalpa?
Prune in winter while the tree is bare. Thin selectively to shape it, and do not open the canopy heavily, since the trunk sunburns. Never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year.
Chitalpa for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chitalpa is a cross of desert willow and catalpa that gives Valley yards fast, light shade and months of trumpet flowers that hummingbirds love. It needs more summer water than a true desert tree and does best away from hot west walls. Below are the questions people ask most, from size and watering to leaf scorch and spacing.
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Chitalpa and hummingbirds
White to pink trumpet flowers bloom from late spring into summer and pull in hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The flowers are sterile, so no pods follow.
How fast does chitalpa grow?
It grows fast to about 25 to 30 feet tall, with an open, airy canopy. A young tree can reach house height in a couple of years with good water.
Watering chitalpa in Phoenix
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. It needs much more summer water than desert willow, so treat it like a moderate-water tree.
Chitalpa leaf scorch
Bacterial leaf scorch browns leaf edges in summer and can cause branch dieback. Nearly all chitalpas carry it and it cannot be cured, so steady watering and winter pruning of dead wood are the best care.
Chitalpa vs desert willow
Chitalpa is a cross of desert willow and catalpa. It has bigger flower clusters and sets no seed pods, but it needs much more summer water than desert willow and sunburns more easily.
Where to plant chitalpa
Give it full sun away from hot west walls and reflected heat, since the trunk sunburns. Plant trees about 20 feet or more apart.
Chitalpa in winter
It is hardy to about -10°F and drops its leaves in winter, letting the sun through. Prune it while it is bare.
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