ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
March 02, 2018
By Charlie Neumeyer - Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUMEYER/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
While edible, the olives on a Mexican Olive Tree are generally not consumed due to lack of taste and oil. In fact, Mexican Olive Tree fruit and leaves are known to have been used for medicinal purposes. As they mature, these 1-inch olives turn yellow and some will get a reddish tint as shown here.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLIE NEUMEYER/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
The extended freeze have hit these Mexican Olive Trees hard in the landscape of Master Gardener Charlie Neumeyer. Being a subtropical tree, however, the branches are still viable and will likely come back.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY RAY MATTHEWS/LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
The Mexican Olive Tree can bloom all year long, depending on the weather. The major bloom period is early spring to late summer, so begin to look for clusters of paper thin, trumpet shaped white flowers with yellow throats as shown here and that will attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Looking for a large shrub or small tree that blooms practically year-round? This plant boasts clusters of trumpet-shaped, white flowers with yellow throats that appear to be made of crepe paper. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is easy to grow and relatively maintenance-free. Its name? Well, it has several – Mexican Olive, Texas Wild Olive, White Geiger or Anacahuita. But whatever you call it, it will be a winner in your landscape.
The scientific name of this tree is Cordia boissieri. It is in the borage or forget-me-not family which, according to Wikipedia, consists of about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs. The tree can grow up to about 20-feet tall and be nearly as wide but generally stays smaller in this area. The leaves are gray-green and have a velvety texture. The olives are yellow and about 1-inch long.
The Mexican Olive tree is native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. David Rodriguez, of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Bexar County, states the tree is native to no other state in the United States, but can also be found in northeastern Mexican states.
The Mexican Olive’s natural habitat is hot and dry and it thrives under those conditions. I have six Mexican Olive trees in my landscape, and after they were established, I provided no additional water, even during the recent drought. The trees survived just fine.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site states that the trees prefer well-drained caliche, sand, sandy loam, clay loam, clay or gravel soils. The key word here is well-drained. The site explains that excessive irrigation and fertilization can cause problems for these trees. If you have a heavy clay soil, you may have to improve the drainage.
The Mexican Olive will make a showy addition to any landscape. Because it blooms basically year-round, it makes an excellent accent tree. Since it is a small tree, it can be used in tight areas. The gray-green color of the leaves can be complemented with silver leaf plants such as Dusty Miller or Lamb’s Ear.
I have my trees planted in clusters of three along the driveway. Because of the growing conditions, I wanted plants with similar sun and water needs. I went for a striking contrast by using pride of Barbados and purple and white-blooming ceniza.
The Mexican Olive is a subtropical tree, and it really does not like cold weather. According to David Rodriguez, they are frost-resistant and can tolerate temperatures in the high 20s.
When I lived in San Antonio, I had one planted on the south side of the house and it did just fine, but the two freezing periods this year have really done a number on my trees. They have dropped all of their leaves.
The scratch test shows that the stems are still green, so I feel certain they will come back.
There are two other trees closely related to the Mexican Olive. They are the Cordia sebestena and the Cordia lutea.
If you have traveled to southern Florida or the Caribbean Islands, you may have noticed both of these trees.
The Cordia sebestena is known as the Geiger tree in Key West.
It has a vivid orange to almost red flowers. The Cordia lutea is a yellow variety. Both are used widely in tropical climates and are not suited to this area.
Several years back, I purchased an orange Geiger from a nursery in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
The nurseryman asked where I lived, and I told him about 300 miles north.
He tried to dissuade me from purchasing the tree, but I bought it anyway. I planted it in a large container on the south side of the house and covered it if the temperature approached freezing. He was right. It died.
Despite the possible cold-weather damage, the Mexican Olive tree is worth the effort.
It is pest-free and care-free, and the flowers will amaze you throughout the growing season.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901 or email vcmga@vicad.com.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLIE NEUMEYER/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
The Geiger Tree is a cousin to the Mexican Olive Tree. As shown here with orange-red blooms and shiny leaves, it varies from the velvety, gray-green leaves on the Mexican Olive Tree. It is a tropical tree that thrives best in the lower Rio Grande Valley and further south. It can be damaged or killed in freezing conditions locally.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk