Wild Olive Tree South Texas
Trees may live well over 100 years.
Wild olive tree south texas. Cordia boissieri is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the borage family boraginaceae. The tree also grows in mexico. Wild olive is native to the southernmost tip of the rio grande plains of south texas. Wild olive mexican olive anacahuita cordia boissieri.
This small tree can be grown as a large shrub is native to the southern most tip of the rio grande region of texas. The olive is an exotic fruit crop in texas. In contrast texas sometimes has severe winter freezes that can kill olives to the ground. In addition to its landscape appeal the flowers bring bees butterfies and hummers and the fruit attracts mammals and birds.
Unless you live in isolated pockets of east central and south texas you will need to grow your olive tree as an ornamental and here s why. It is drought tolerant but only after it s well established. The sweet fruit of cordia boissieri commonly called texas or mexican olive is a valuable food source for birds and wildlife but considered slightly toxic to humans if eaten fresh. It is named after botanist pierre edmond boissier.
In the united states texas olive occurs in the wild in very few locations. The mexican olive tree cordia boissieri also known as a wild olive or texas olive tree grows near water sources on the plains of southern texas in the lower rio grande valley. It is native to no other state in the united states. Historically this texas beauty grew no further north than certain lower rio grande valley counties including hidalgo jim hogg and willacy.
Common names include anacahuita mexican olive white cordia and texas wild olive. Texas wild olive requires well drained soil and neutral to alkaline ph. Because of its showy flowers it is often planted as an ornamental in the lower rio grande valley. The undersides of the leaves are covered in fuzz with deep yellowish white veins.
Its native range extends from southern texas in the united states south to central mexico. It can be grown as far north as san antonio but may freeze to the ground during an exceptionally cold winter in this area. Description texas olive is an evergreen to semi deciduous tree reaching fifteen to twenty feet tall and about twenty five feet wide. Olives are native to the mediterranean basin which usually has mild rainy winters and hot dry summers.
It has multiple trunks with a dark gray bark and deep green oval leaves that are large and leathery in texture. The best area in texas to attempt commercial olive production is in the southwest region north of laredo and southwest of san antonio known as the winter garden. However the indigenous people of the rio grande river valley in southern texas and mexico have traditionally made cooked jellies and dyes from the fruit and use the wood for firewood and carpentry.