Accession Count: 40
Common Name:
littleleaf cordia
Family Name:
Boraginaceae
Botanical Name:
Cordia parvifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Cordia parvifolia is a deciduous shrub with gray-green leaves, which are ovate in shape, and one and a half inches long. The leaves exhibit alternate phyllotaxy. C. parvifolia has a pendulous form.
Compound:
Cor par
Geographic Origin:
Northwestern Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The C. parvifolia orginates in the northwestern Mexico and now can be found in Baja Califonia Sur, Sonora, Coahuila, Torreon, Durango, los Mochis, and Guaymas, Mexico and Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona(2).
Cultivation Notes:
Cordia parvifolia is a low maintenance plant which is drought tolerant once established. Ideally, it should be planted in locations with full sun. Littleleaf cordia blooms from early spring to fall, but supplemental irrigation in the summer will help extend its blooming period. Supplemental irrigation in the late spring and summer will help improve the appearance of C. parvifolia. It is hardy down to 15°F, and resistant to Texas Root Rot. Littleleaf cordia, due to the pendulous form of its branches, can cascade down low walls. In a landscape, it should be given ample space.
Ethnobotany:
In modern landscapes, C. parvifolia can be used as a screen: either by itself, or massed.
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
- swbiodiversity.org
