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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

2 ratings

Thursday - June 11, 2015

From: Garland, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Are Desert Willow Leaves Fragrant?
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

I have a pink Desert Willow and have noticed that the leaves are fragrant; no flowers are yet present. I cannot find any sites that agree with this finding? Is this unusual?

ANSWER:

Yes, you are correct that Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) leaves do have a mild fragrance.The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension webpage for Maricopa County have an article on Desert Willows by Cathy Rymer that talks about the shrub in detail and says "The foliage on some trees can be aromatic with a slightly medicinal fragrance."

Good luck with your plant. Hope it blooms soon for you.

From the Image Gallery

Desert willow
Chilopsis linearis