Mexican Olive
Cordia boissieriMexican Olive is a small tree native to Central Texas that grows 15 ft tall and 15 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and low water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Blooms white and yellow in Jan–Dec. Good for birds and butterflies.
Will it grow in your yard?
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From our guide
Village of the HillsEvergreen small tree with large velvety leaves and white crepe-textured flowers with yellow throats, nearly year-round.
Why it works here
Tropical-looking flowers on a plant that shrugs off heat and alkaline soil. Blooms when little else does.
Watch out
Freeze sensitive — expect damage below the low twenties. Best on a south wall in the Hill Country.
The facts
6 sources- Type
- Small tree
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
- Water
- Low
- Height
- 15 ft
- Spread
- 15 ft
- Bloom
- Jan–Dec · white, yellow
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- Takes caliche and clay · recorded on clay, dry, loam, moist, sand, well drained
- Deer
- Moderate — deer may browse it, especially new growth. Velvety leaves offer some protection; not immune.
- Wildlife
- Supports birds and butterflies
Where it grows
No Level IV record in the launch area yet. Recorded in these Texas ecoregions:
12 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.
also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.