Accession Count: 46
Common Name:
Texas olive, anacahuita
Family Name:
Boraginaceae
Botanical Name:
Cordia boissieri
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Cordia boissieri is an evergreen shrub to small tree that can reach about 25 feet in height. The leaves are five inches long, obovate, pale to medium gray-green, and covered with numerous trichomes (short hairs). The flowers are showy, white, and trumpet-shaped with yellow centers and five stamens.
Compound:
Cor boi
Geographic Origin:
Texas/Northeast Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
C. boissieri is not an olive at all. The common name of the Texas olive comes from the the shape and size of its fruit. The genus name 'Cordia' named after Valerius Cordus, a German botanist, and species epithet 'boissieri' honors the French botanist Boissier.
Cultivation Notes:
C. boissieri requires moisture in order to bloom, and should be planted in the mini-oasis, or transition xeriscape zones. It is a messy tree, and litters flowers and fruits on the ground below. It requires training in order to achieve a tree-like form. The Texas olive grows best in either full sun or partial shade, and should be watered about once monthly. This tree is evergreen, but temperatures in the low 20s will cause the foliage to burn. The Texas olive is semi-hardy, and damage is incurred to the plant at temperatures around 22-26°F.
Ethnobotany:
In Mexico, the fruits of the anacahuita are often made into a jelly which is used to relieve coughs and colds. The fruits are very sweet, but intoxicating when eaten in excess. The leaves are used to cure rheumatism and bronchial problems (Vines 1960). The wood is made into wooden objects for everyday use, and yokes. When used as a landscape ornamental, C. boissieri is valued for the aesthetics of its clusters of rhododendron like flowers, and the textural contrast of its foliage.
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Semi-hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
Walters, James E, and Balbir Backhaus. Shade and Color with Water-Conserving Plants. Timber Press, 1992.
