Hello! Welcome to the Desert Willow's homepage! Through this page you will find a lot of information on the Desert Willow! Please watch the YouTube video for a brief introduction on this fabulous plant found in the Sonoran Desert! By: Jennifer Finn Desert Willow
  WHO AM I? I am a Desert Willow. I am a tree and my other common names are Desert Catalpa, Flowering Willow, False Willow, or Jano. Don't confuse my name thinking I am a willow, because in fact I am a close relative of a Catalpa Tree. WHERE DO I LIVE? I can be found growing along empherial stream beds and washes.This strikingly beautiful plant primarily occupies dry washes, intermittent streams, and other watercourses of the damp canyon lands of deserts and mountain foothills. You can find me between 1,500 and 5,000 feet in elevation throughout much of the southwestern United States and into Mexico. WHAT DO I EAT? In order for me to live, I perfer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. I am drought-tolerant, requiring only the deep infrequent irregations that most desert trees need. HOW DO I LOOK? I can either be a large shrub or small tree growing up to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide. I am formed with multiple trunks which shows off my graceful appearance. My leaves are sometimes curvy, straight, long or short and can be 5 to 12 inches long. HOW DO I REPRODUCE? In order for me to reproduce, my seed has to be deposited somewhere else. This can either be through a bee, the wind, or a hummingbird. They will pick up the pollen and seeds and carry it to another spot where it will reproduce. FUN FACT ABOUT ME?A fun fact is that the Desert Willow's flowers, leaves and bark have all been used in hot poultices and as a soothing tea for coughs. Other known uses were as treatments to guard against infections, athlete's foot and as first aid for scrapes and scratches. Now lets do something fun!!!!
HEY KINDERGARTNERS- Lets practice what you learned today! Draw a picture of a Desert Willow and write one sentence about it!!!
HEY FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS - Here is a fun activity: Find 3 pictures online of desert willows and post them into power point. Each of the three slides will have one picture and one sentence describing the desert willow!!
This website is a link to the Master Gardner Maricopa County Journal. It provides plenty of information on the Desert Willow and has many pictures as well! This site alot of the information that you have already learned about today as well as much more scientific information if you are looking to extend your research! |