Mexican Olive

Mexican Olive, Cordia boissieri

Sometimes known as Anacahuita, Mexican Olive is a small tree that historically grew no further north than the lower Rio Grande Valley counties. It has successfully been grown as far north as Austin, but the colder winter cause some die-back, and it cannot tolerate a colder climate as the roots will freeze. Mexican olive has large, evergreen dark leaves with constantly blooming showy, white trumpet-shaped flowers with petals resembling crepe paper. In addition to being a great hummingbird plant, butterflies frequent the blooms and birds, deer, and cattle enjoy the fruits and leaves. While the fruit is edible for humans, they are not considered palatable and are not recommended to be consumed in large quantities. Although regular watering is necessary for establishing, Mexican olive is drought tolerant and needs little care after establishing making it a popular choice for highway planting.