Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Saturday - October 20, 2012

From: Halifax, NS
Region: Canada
Topic: Trees
Title: Can a Desert Willow grow in Nova Scotia Canada
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Can a chilopsis linearis grow in Halifax Nova Scotia Zone 6a?

ANSWER:

Chilopsis linearis (Desert willow) probably answers your question with its name. Any plant with "desert" as part of its name is unlikly to thrive, or even survive, in a Maritime Province of Atlantic Canada. If you will follow the plant link above to our webpage on this plant, you will learn that it is native to Arizona, Southern California, New Mexico and Texas. This USDA Plant Profile Map shows where it is growing in the United States. Long way from there to the Eastern Atlantic coastline. Please also take note of this information:

"Its exotic-looking blooms, rapid growth, drought tolerance, and ease of maintenance have made it a sought-after plant within its range, which in nature is from south-central Texas south to Nuevo Leon and Zacatecas in Mexico and west all the way to southern California and Baja California. Adapted to desert washes, it does best with just enough water to keep it blooming and healthily green through the warm months. Many cultivars have been selected, with varying flower colors, leaf sizes, and amounts of seed pods."

From the Image Gallery

Desert willow
Chilopsis linearis