FLOWERS DO SOOTHE THE SOUL

A single flower today.  This is called Desert willow, also known as Flowering willow, Willowleaf catalpa or Bow willow.  Botanical name Chilopsia linearis.

I first saw it when we were in the southwest and it is a favorite of hummingbirds.  I loved this one's deep red color, so rich and vibrant.

It is described as a fast growing tree that can grow 2 to 3 feet a year, and can grow to 30 feet tall.

The Dessert willow is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, and is commonly seen in washes and along riverbanks at elevations below 1500 meters in the Colorado and Mojave Deserts.  It can have the appearance of a shrub or a tree.

It is named so because because of its willow-like leaves, but it is not a true willow meaning that it is not part of the catalpa family.

Its symbolism is love, divination and protection.

A perennial, it will bloom in the spring, summer and autumn.

Below is a map of where you will find them in the US (green color).  For those who are not from here, the state on its own to the right is Georgia and the Desert willow found there is likely to be from cultivated plants.

Here is a larger map of the US showing all the states.

A pretty flower that I came across, and one I had never seen before.