{% assign use_variant_images = false %}
{% capture vertical_scroll %}{% endcapture %} {%- if use_variant_images and variant.images[0] -%} {%- assign images = variant.images -%} {%- else -%} {%- assign images = product.images -%} {%- endif -%}
{% assign last_slide = 0 %} {% assign imgOffset = 0 %} {% if product.tags contains 'Graphic Overlay' %} {% assign imgOffset = 1 %} {% endif %} {%- for image in images offset: imgOffset -%} {% capture thumbRepsonsive %} {%- if image != blank -%} {%- if image.width > 180 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '180x' }} 180w {{ 180 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 360 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '360x' }} 360w {{ 360 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 540 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '540x' }} 540w {{ 540 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 720 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '720x' }} 720w {{ 720 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 900 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '900x' }} 900w {{ 900 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 1080 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '1080x' }} 1080w {{ 1080 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 1296 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '1296x' }} 1296w {{ 1296 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 1512 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '1512x' }} 1512w {{ 1512 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 1728 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '1728x' }} 1728w {{ 1728 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 1944 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '1944x' }} 1944w {{ 1944 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 2160 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '2160x' }} 2160w {{ 2160 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 2376 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '2376x' }} 2376w {{ 2376 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 2592 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '2592x' }} 2592w {{ 2592 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 2808 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '2808x' }} 2808w {{ 2808 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- if image.width > 3024 -%}{{ image.src | img_url: '3024x' }} 3024w {{ 3024 | divided_by: image.aspect_ratio | round }}h,{%- endif -%} {%- assign image_size = image.width | append: 'x' -%} {{ image.src | img_url: image_size }} {{ image.width }}w {{ image.height }}h {%- endif -%} {% endcapture %}
{% assign last_slide = forloop.index %} {% endfor %}
All media depicts mature plants.

El Niño® Chitalpa

SHRUB

Description

BUY ONE SOUTHERN SHRUB, GET ONE 50% OFF WITH CODE SOUTHERNBOGO.

  • A truly unique option for your garden or landscape.
  • Intricate pink/purple flowers resemble orchids!
  • Flowers emit a delicious vanilla-melon fragrance.
  • Vigorous, heat-tolerant & deer-resistant.
  • Zones 6-9, sun to part sun, 10-15' tall x 8-10' wide at maturity. 
Zone 6-9
Light part sun/sun
tall

{% capture DiscountGroup %}1{% endcapture %} {% capture DiscountTier %}2{% endcapture %} {% assign DiscountGroup = DiscountGroup | plus: 0 %} {% assign DiscountTier = DiscountTier | plus: 0 %} {% assign discount_amount = 0 %} {% for group in product.discounts_structure.groups %} {% if group.id == DiscountGroup %} {% for tier in group.tiers %} {% if tier.id == DiscountTier %} {% for discount in tier.discount %} {% if discount.min_quantity > variant.quantity %}{% break %}{% endif %} {% assign discount_amount = discount.discount_amount | times: 100 %} {% endfor %} {% break %} {% endif %} {% endfor %} {% break %} {% endif %} {% endfor %} {% if variant.price < variant.compare_at_price %} Sale {{- variant.price | minus: discount_amount | money | remove: ' ' -}}
{{- variant.compare_at_price | money | remove: ' ' -}} {% else %} {{- variant.price | money | remove: ' ' -}} {% endif %} Each

Buy More, Save More:
    {% for discountGroup in product.discounts_structure.groups %} {% if discountGroup.id == 1 %} {% for discountTier in discountGroup.tiers %} {% if discountTier.id == 2%} {% for discount in discountTier.discount %}
  • {% assign discount_amount = discount.discount_amount | times: 100 %} {% assign tier_ceiling = 10000 %} {% if discountTier.discount[forloop.index] != blank %}{% assign tier_ceiling = discountTier.discount[forloop.index].min_quantity | minus: 1 %}{% endif %}
    {{ variant.price | money | remove: ' ' }} {{ variant.price | minus: discount_amount | money | remove: ' ' }} / {{ discount.min_quantity }}{% if discountTier.discount[forloop.index] != blank %}-{{ discountTier.discount[forloop.index].min_quantity | minus: 1 }}{% else %}+{% endif %} qty.
  • {% endfor %} {% endif %} {% endfor %} {% endif %} {% endfor %}
Total
{% capture DiscountGroup %}1{% endcapture %} {% capture DiscountTier %}2{% endcapture %} {% assign DiscountGroup = DiscountGroup | plus: 0 %} {% assign DiscountTier = DiscountTier | plus: 0 %} {% assign discount_amount = 0 %} {% for group in product.discounts_structure.groups %} {% if group.id == DiscountGroup %} {% for tier in group.tiers %} {% if tier.id == DiscountTier %} {% for discount in tier.discount %} {% if discount.min_quantity > variant.quantity %}{% break %}{% endif %} {% assign discount_amount = variant.quantity | times: discount.discount_amount | times: 100 %} {% endfor %} {% break %} {% endif %} {% endfor %} {% break %} {% endif %} {% endfor %}
{{ variant.price | times: variant.quantity | minus: discount_amount | money | remove: ' ' }}
{% if discount_amount > 0 %} Saved {{ discount_amount | money | remove: ' ' }} {% endif %}
{% for option in product.options_with_values %} {% assign optionIndex = forloop.index0 %} {% assign position = forloop.index %}
{{option.name}}
{% assign sortedvalues = option.values %} {% if option.name contains 'Length' or option.name contains 'Width' or option.name contains 'Height' or option.name contains 'Depth' or option.name contains 'Thickness' or option.name contains 'Weight' %} {% assign sortedvalues = option.values | sort %} {% endif %} {% for value in sortedvalues %} {% assign inventory_quantity = 0 %} {% assign available = false %} {% assign optionVariant = false %} {% if product.options_with_values.size == 3 and optionIndex == 2%} {% for v in product.variants %} {% unless v.bogus %} {% if v.option1 == variant.option1 and v.option2 == variant.option2 and v.option3 == value %} {% assign optionVariant = v %} {% assign inventory_quantity = inventory_quantity | plus: v.inventory_quantity %} {% if v.available %}{% assign available = true %}{% endif %} {% endif %} {% endunless %} {% endfor %} {% elsif product.options_with_values.size == 2 and optionIndex == 1%} {% for v in product.variants %} {% unless v.bogus %} {% if v.option1 == variant.option1 and v.option2 == value %} {% assign optionVariant = v %} {% assign inventory_quantity = inventory_quantity | plus: v.inventory_quantity %} {% if v.available %}{% assign available = true %}{% endif %} {% endif %} {% endunless %} {% endfor %} {% else %} {% for v in product.variants %} {% unless v.bogus %} {% if v.option1 == value %} {% assign optionVariant = v %} {% assign inventory_quantity = inventory_quantity | plus: v.inventory_quantity %} {% if v.available %}{% assign available = true %}{% endif %} {% endif %} {% endunless %} {% endfor %} {% endif %} {% assign checked = "" %} {% if variant.options[optionIndex] == value%}{% assign checked = "checked" %}{% endif %} {% endfor %}
{% endfor %}
{% capture add_to_cart %}Neptune.cart.add({ id:{{ variant.id | json }}, quantity:{{ variant.quantity }}, properties:{ '_growingzone':['6a', '6b', '7a', '7b', '8a', '8b', '9a', '9b'],'shipping_exclusions':''} }, '.atcprod-{{ variant.id }}', { quantity: {{ variant.quantity }}, image: '//www.greatgardenplants.com/cdn/shop/products/ChitalpaElNinoDSC08931-1080x1080-33e0fa6.png?v=1675699573', title: 'El Niño® Chitalpa', option: 'One Quart' }); return false;{% endcapture %} {% assign discontinued = '' %} {% for tag in product.tags %} {% if tag contains 'discontinued' %} {% assign discontinued = 'true' %} {% endif %} {% endfor %} {% if variant.available %} {% else %} {% unless discontinued == 'true' %} Notify Me When Available {% endunless %} {% endif %}
{% if error %}
{{error.description}}
{% endif %}
white plant in hand icon

Hand-picked at our greenhouse

white shipped to door icon

Shipped to your door

Young plant icon

Arrives as young plant

background image

More Information

Description Seeing is believing, and El Niño® desert orchid (×Chitalpa) is a shrub that must be seen – and smelled – to be believed! In summer, it blooms continuously, with spires of pink-purple flowers that look like orchids. They have a truly unique fragrance that’s a bit hard to describe, but most people we ask describe it as vanilla and ripe melon. Since it blooms in the summer, that sweet scent wafts on the warm breeze, perfuming the area and drawing you to it, making its unusual blooms all the better.

If you’ve never heard of Chitalpa before, you’re not alone! This is a new hybrid of two North American native trees: Chilopsis, also known as desert willow, and Catalpa, also known as cigar tree, Indian bean tree, or Catawba. These two species combine to create a heat tolerant, disease resistant shrub with the color and fragrance of the desert willow and the hardiness of the cigar tree. You already know we’re big fans of Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs around here, and this is one of the coolest and most original introductions we’ve ever seen from them.
Details Botanical name: ×Chitalpa ‘NCXC1'
Patent #: PPAF
Common name: Desert orchid, chitalpa (pronounced chih-tal-pa)
Zone: 6-9
Sun exposure: Sun (6+ hours sun), part sun (4-6 hrs sun)
Height x width: 10-15’ x 8-10'
Flower color: Pink-purple, with bits of yellow
Foliage color: Green
Bloom season: Summer-fall
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Rare & unusual, Proven Winners, heat tolerant, dry soils, drought tolerant, deer resistant, best sellers, best for beginners
Uses: Background, border, foundation planting, hedge, ornamental, privacy, specimen
How To Grow Soil: Plant in any well-drained spot. Drought tolerant once established.
Light: Can grow in full to part sun; the hotter your climate, the more shade it can take. Full sun recommended in USDA zone 6.
Water: Low to average
Space: Min. 4' apart; further in more mild climates
Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring, once the ground has thawed, with a granular rose fertilizer.
Winterizing: No special treatment is required in warmer areas; 2-3" of mulch is recommended in cooler climates. May die back to the ground in harsh winters in zone 6 but will regrow from the ground – give it plenty of time to re-emerge if this happens. Additional applications of fertilizer may help it recover more quickly once new growth begins to emerge.
Maintenance & Pruning: Little to no pruning required, but may be trimmed to take on the shape of a small tree if you wish. If the plant experiences winter dieback, wait until new growth begins to remove any dead or old wood.

Ideas & Inspo

6 Fragrant Flowers for Spring

Lots of the most beloved fragrant plants bloom in spring and early summer; they’re the perfect way to welcome back the growing season and the return of spending time outdoors. We’re sharing some of our all-time favorite fragrant plants in spring here. Plant them and create your own fragrant memories this season!

Customer Reviews

Based on 10 reviews
70%
(7)
10%
(1)
20%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
C
Customer (Kentucky)
Much larger than tag size

I love this plant. Unfortunately, it is already bigger than what the tag says. I went by the tag and planted it the appropriate distance from my house. Now, I’m going to have to chop it down, because I don’t believe I can move it. The base is like a tree trunk. And when I look on proven winners site they have the same tree at 10 - 15 feet tall and 8 - 10 feet wide. I’m not sure that will even be correct. I just planted it in May of 23, which makes it a bit over 1 year in the ground and it’s close to 10:feet already. I’m bummed, because now I’m going to have to pay to buy this again to put it elsewhere.

This shrub is extremely durable, meaning it can be pruned back to fit your allotted space! No need to worry, if you cut it back in the spring, it will bounce right back and continue showing off its beautiful flowers! For more information, contact us at claims@greatgardenplants.com with your order number and photos of the plants. Out team of expert horticulturists are always here to help!

I
I.V. (Virginia)
More than pleased!!

Bought two in the spring and been pretty amazed at the growth rate of these! Not a ton of blooms but for this being the first year that’s to be expected. Bought two more because of how pleased we are!

G
Gloria

Like nice size

J
J.P. (Ohio)
healthy & gorgeous

love these, can’t wait till they reach full
size :)

I
I.b. (Texas)
Desert willow dwarf

Growing beautifully in zone 8b