Texas Olive

Texas olive pairs crinkled white flowers with broad, softly textured leaves. The blossoms have yellow throats, a small detail that becomes especially clear in a close view. Mark Miller photographed this flowering plant at The Living Desert in Palm Desert on October 15, 2026.

At a glance

• Botanical name: Cordia boissieri
• Also called: Mexican olive, wild olive and anacahuita
• Plant type: Large shrub or small tree
• Native range: Southern Texas and northern Mexico
• Coachella Valley status: Cultivated, non-native
• Typical size: About 15–20 feet tall and 10–15 feet wide, depending on conditions and training

How to recognize it

Look for clusters of white, flaring flowers with yellow centers at the branch tips. The broad leaves have conspicuous veins and a soft, pale underside. Together, the flowers and foliage distinguish it from plants with similarly colored blooms but much smaller leaves.

Despite its common name, Texas olive is not the culinary olive, Olea europaea. Its name refers to the olive-like appearance of its fruit.

In a desert landscape

This plant can be allowed to branch as a large shrub or trained into a small tree. It grows in sunny, well-drained locations and tolerates dry conditions once established, although moisture availability influences flowering. Cold weather can damage foliage or cause leaf loss.

Allow room for its mature canopy, and consider flower and fruit litter when choosing a position beside paving. Avoid treating a photograph of an irrigated garden specimen as a promise of year-round flowering in every yard.

About these photographs

The wider view and flower close-up show the same plant. Identification is based on the visible flowers and leaves; a garden label was not photographed. Both images document a cultivated specimen at The Living Desert.

Explore more

• Flora of the Coachella Valley
• Yellow bells
• Desert lavender

Sources

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Texas olive
• University of Arizona Campus Arboretum: Cordia boissieri

Photography © Mark Miller, October 15, 2026. Botanical sources checked October 15, 2026.