Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Sweet Bubba Desert Willow
Sweet Bubba is a seedless desert willow, so you get the long flower show without the hanging seed pods. Its magenta trumpet flowers are larger than most desert willows and carry a light, sweet scent. It blooms from about May into October, and hummingbirds work the flowers all season. It grows fast into a 15 to 20 foot tree with narrow leaves and an airy canopy that casts dappled summer shade.
Best for: a flowering tree with no seed pods, dappled summer shade on a west or south side, or the center of a hummingbird garden.
Most desert willows hang long brown seed pods that cling to the branches through winter. Sweet Bubba sets no seed, so the tree stays clean while it flowers from about May into October.
The narrow leaves make an airy canopy with dappled shade. It takes heat and reflected heat, so it can go on a west or south side to shade the house in summer. In winter the leaves drop and the sun comes back in.
The trumpet flowers draw hummingbirds, carpenter bees and bumblebees, and butterflies visit too. With a bloom that runs from about May into October, the nectar lasts through the hottest months.
It stands bare for up to six months, roughly November to April. Left alone, a desert willow tends to grow as a large shrub with several stems, so remove base suckers to keep a tree shape. Heavy watering or soggy soil gives weak, fast growth and fewer flowers.
- Row, canopies touching15-20 ft apart
- Standalone shade tree20+ ft from other trees
Sweet Bubba sets no seed, so it skips the long brown pods other desert willows hang through winter. You still rake up leaves in late fall and spent flowers in summer.
The first year, soak it deeply every 5 to 7 days. Once rooted, water deeply every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. Extra summer water means fuller leaves and more flowers, but soggy soil gives weak growth and fewer blooms.
Remove the lowest limbs and the suckers at the base from late winter to spring, until the trunk is as tall as you want. Keep pulling suckers, since it tries to grow back into a shrub.
It drops its leaves in late fall and can stand bare for up to six months. New leaves come out in late March or April, soon followed by 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.
Does Sweet Bubba make seed pods?
No. It is a seedless variety, so it skips the long brown pods other desert willows hang through winter. It still drops its leaves in fall and spent flowers in summer.
What color are the flowers, and when does it bloom?
The flowers are magenta, a deep red-purple, and larger than most desert willow flowers. They have a light, sweet scent. Bloom runs from about May into October.
How fast does Sweet Bubba grow?
Yes, it grows fast. Desert willow can put on 2 to 3 feet a year with regular water, and Sweet Bubba is a fast grower as well. Less water means slower growth, so give extra summer water if you want it to fill in sooner.
How tall and wide does it get?
Sweet Bubba grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide. Wild desert willows can get larger, often 25 to 30 feet. In a row, plant them 15 to 20 feet apart.
How is Sweet Bubba different from Bubba desert willow?
Bubba has pink and burgundy flowers and still makes some seed pods, just fewer than most. Sweet Bubba has magenta flowers that are larger than Bubba's, and it sets no seed.
How often should I water a desert willow?
The first year, soak it deeply every 5 to 7 days. Once rooted in, water deeply every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. Extra summer water gives fuller leaves and more flowers.
Can it take reflected heat on a west wall?
Yes. Desert willow handles heat and reflected heat. It works on a west or south side where you want summer shade, and once the leaves drop it lets the winter sun through.
Why does my desert willow look dead in winter?
It drops its leaves for winter and can stand bare for up to six months, roughly November to April. New leaves come out in late March or April, soon followed by flowers.
How cold hardy is Sweet Bubba?
It is rated hardy to about 0°F. Desert willow drops its leaves in late fall, so a bare tree through winter is normal.
How do I prune a desert willow into a tree?
Remove the lowest limbs and the suckers at the base, late winter to spring, until the trunk is as tall as you want. Single trunk or several trunks both work. Keep pulling suckers, since it tries to grow back into a shrub.
Does it need fertilizer?
No, it usually does not need feeding. Desert willow does fine without feeding, and fertilizer can mean fewer flowers and weaker growth, so skip it.
What soil does it need?
It is not fussy about soil type but needs good drainage. Avoid spots where water stands, since soggy roots can rot.
Sweet Bubba Desert Willow for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Sweet Bubba Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis 'Sweet Bubba') is a seedless selection of the desert willow, a fast-growing tree of Southwest desert washes. It carries large magenta flowers from about May into October and grows about 15 to 20 feet tall. This page covers what to expect in a Valley yard, from size, spacing and watering to pruning, winter looks and hummingbirds.
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.
Is Sweet Bubba desert willow really seedless?
Yes. Sweet Bubba sets no seed, so there are no long brown pods hanging on the tree through winter. Most desert willows make pods 4 to 10 inches long. You still get fallen leaves in late fall and spent flowers in summer.
How big does Sweet Bubba desert willow get?
Plan on about 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide. That is smaller than many wild desert willows, which can reach 25 to 30 feet. It grows fast, often 2 to 3 feet a year with regular water.
When does desert willow bloom in Arizona?
Desert willow leafs out in late March or April, and flowers follow soon after. Sweet Bubba keeps blooming from about May into October. Its magenta trumpets are larger than most desert willows and have a light, sweet scent.
How far apart do you plant Sweet Bubba desert willow?
For a row where the canopies touch, plant 15 to 20 feet apart center to center. For a standalone shade tree, leave 20 feet or more to the next tree. The spacing calculator on this page does the count for a row.
How much water does a desert willow need in the Valley?
Water deeply every 5 to 7 days the first year. After that, a deep soak every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter is enough. More summer water gives fuller leaves and more flowers, but soggy soil causes problems.
Does desert willow attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the trumpet flowers, and carpenter bees and bumblebees are the main pollinators. Butterflies visit the flowers too. Sweet Bubba's long bloom keeps nectar on the tree through the whole warm season.
Is desert willow a real willow?
No. Desert willow is in the catalpa and trumpet vine family, not the willow family. It gets the name from its long, narrow leaves. In the wild it grows along desert washes from Arizona to Texas and into Mexico.
Sweet Bubba vs Bubba desert willow
Bubba has pink and burgundy flowers and makes fewer seed pods than most desert willows, but still some. Sweet Bubba has larger magenta flowers and makes none. Both are fast growers for full sun.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.