Texas Wild Olive (Cordia boissieri): Drought-Tolerant White Blooms

Texas Wild Olive, also called White Geiger or Anacahuita, is a tough, drought-tolerant large shrub or small tree native to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and northeastern Mexico. Cordia boissieri brings months of white, funnel-shaped flowers to arid landscapes with minimal water requirements.

Extended Bloom Season

One of this plant's greatest assets is its long flowering period—from spring through fall, and even year-round in frost-free areas. The 2-inch wide flowers have crinkled white petals with yellow throats, appearing in clusters at branch tips. They're followed by olive-like fruits (drupes) that ripen to purple-black, edible but not particularly palatable to humans; birds relish them. The leaves are large (4-6 inches), rough-texted, and gray-green.

Taxonomic Classification

Landscape Value and Care

Texas Wild Olive grows 15-25 feet tall and wide, forming a rounded, somewhat open canopy. It thrives in full sun and extremely well-drained soil—caliche, limestone, sand—and is exceptionally drought-tolerant once established. It's hardy to about 20°F (zone 9a), though it may die back in severe freezes and resprout. In colder zones, it can be grown as a container plant.

It's an excellent choice for xeriscapes, native plant gardens, and wildlife plantings in South Texas and similar climates. The nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. The dense branching provides nesting sites. Minimal maintenance is needed—occasional pruning to shape. It's a superior alternative to water-thirsty ornamental olives in arid regions.