Texas Olive

Name: Texas Olive
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Cordia boissieri

A drought-tolerant shrub with showy white flowers that bloom from spring through fall, attracting birds and wildlife.

Hardy in USDA zones 9-11 but frost-tender; branches die back below the mid-20s, so plant in warm low-desert microclimates for evergreen performance.

AMWUA Notes

A very-low-water shrub with an exceptionally long bloom season; needs only occasional irrigation to flower spring through fall.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Deep, infrequent water every 2 weeks in summer keeps it flowering; it is drought tolerant but blooms more reliably with occasional soaks and can go dry in winter.

✂️Pruning

Can be trained as a large multi-trunk shrub or small patio tree; prune to shape and lift the canopy in late winter, avoiding heavy shearing that removes bloom wood.

🌱Fertilizing

Little to no fertilizer required.

🛡️Pests

Few pests; frost is its main vulnerability, not insects.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Evergreen in mild winters with showy crepe-papery white flowers spring through fall; it defoliates and can suffer branch dieback in hard frost, recovering in spring.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Well-drained rocky or sandy soils; tolerates caliche and alkaline pH 7.5-8.5.

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

From seed or semi-hardwood cuttings.

📐Spacing

8-10 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Non-aggressive roots; safe near hardscape, though set back from pools for flower and fruit litter.

Placement Tips

•Wide at up to 10 ft; give it 8-10 ft of space as a specimen or screen and consider training it into a small courtyard tree.
•Its fruit and flower drop make it better set back from pools and patios than directly over decking.
•Use as a focal accent near an entry where the year-long white bloom shows against masonry.
•Site in full sun and a warm spot; protect from severe frost in colder yards.