A genus of desert shrubs and small trees in the bignonia family, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, known for their slender leaves and tubular purple or pink flowers.
From Greek cheilos (lip) and opsis (appearance), referring to the lip-shaped flower structure. The genus name was coined by botanists in the 19th century to describe plants with distinctly lipped flowers characteristic of the Bignoniaceae family.
The desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) blooms right after rare desert rainstorms, making its spectacular pink flowers an ancient indicator that indigenous peoples could count on water—it's like nature's weather app in the American Southwest!
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