Orange Geiger Tree (Cordia sebestena): Tropical Orange Blossoms Year-Round

Orange Geiger Tree, also called Geranium Tree, Anaconda, or Scarlet Cordia, is a small, evergreen tropical tree celebrated for its brilliant orange flowers that appear nearly year-round. Cordia sebestena (family Boraginaceae) is native to the Caribbean and northern South America but widely planted in frost-free zones worldwide.

Continuous Orange Display

The flowers are 1.5-2 inches wide, tubular, flaring to 5-6 crinkled lobes, vivid orange to scarlet, borne in clusters at branch tips. They have a crepe-paper texture and no fragrance. The tree blooms heaviest in spring/summer but produces flowers in every month in tropical climates. The leaves are large (6-9 inches), oval, rough-textured (sandpapery), dark green. The fruit is a white, fleshy drupe (1 inch), edible but bland.

Taxonomic Classification

Coastal Toughness and Uses

Orange Geiger Tree is exceptionally salt- and wind-tolerant, thriving on beachfront sites where few trees survive. It grows 15-25 feet tall with a rounded, spreading canopy. It requires full sun, well-drained soil, and is drought-tolerant once established. It's not frost-hardy (damage below 30°F)—strictly zone 10b+ for outdoor planting.

It's a premier choice for tropical coastal landscapes, seaside gardens, and street plantings in the Caribbean, South Florida, Hawaii, and similar climates. The rough leaves and dense canopy provide good shade. It's relatively pest-free. The related Cordia boissieri (Texas Wild Olive) has white flowers and better cold hardiness (zone 9a). For orange flowers in marginal zones, consider Tecoma 'Orange Jubilee'.