Cordia BOISSIERI

Cordia BOISSIERI - Texas olive, Mexican olive, White cordia, Anacahuita, Cordia boissieri.

Cordia is a large genus of trees and shrubs in the borage family (Boraginaceae), numbering about three hundred species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres, from the Americas to Africa, India, and Arabia.

The plants are evergreen or semi-deciduous, with large rough leaves and a dense crown. In many species, the wood is valued for its strength and attractive grain.

Flowers are tubular or funnelform, gathered in corymbose inflorescences at the shoot tips, most often white or orange, in a number of species with a ruffled margin. The fruit is a drupe with juicy pulp and a single large seed.

Texas olive is a shrub or small tree up to 9 m (30 ft) in height, distributed from southern Texas along the Rio Grande to central Mexico. It lives 30-50 years. The plant is evergreen, but drops its foliage during severe frosts, and in cold climates behaves almost as a deciduous tree.

Leaves are large, dark green, soft to the touch. Flowers are white with a yellow throat, funnel-shaped, 3-5 cm (1.2-2.0 in) across, opening year-round. Fruits are yellow-olive, truly resembling olives, 1.5-3 cm (0.6-1.2 in) long, and sweet.

Cordia seeds are large, dense, enclosed in a fleshy drupe. The coat is hard, so before sowing the seeds require preliminary treatment. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Seeds are held for 1-2 hours in a 1% potassium permanganate solution, then soaked for 6-12 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. Then they are sown into a loose nutrient-rich substrate to a depth of about 1 cm (0.4 in), moistened with a spray bottle, covered with plastic wrap or glass or placed in a propagator, and germinated in warmth at a temperature of 24-28 °C (75-82 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts emerge in as little as 2-3 weeks; main germination extends over 1-2 months, while individual seeds may delay longer. Sowings are ventilated regularly; waterlogging and desiccation are unacceptable. Pricking out is carried out after the formation of 2-3 true leaves, into individual deep pots.

Special notes: Cordia boissieri and Cordia superba (Cordia SUPERBA) are distinct species: the latter originates from Brazil. They are not synonyms.

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The plant needs a bright location year-round: the more light it receives, the more abundant the blooming.

Warm maintenance is required, without sharp drops in temperature in winter. Cordia does not tolerate frosts: when frost-damaged, it sheds its foliage and recovers slowly.

Watering is regular, after the top layer of substrate has dried out. Mature plants are drought-tolerant and handle short dry spells more easily than stagnant water.

A loose, fertile, and well-drained substrate is selected, with the addition of coarse sand or perlite. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Feeding is applied during active growth with a balanced fertilizer for flowering plants.

Repotting is performed in spring as the roots fill the pot. By pruning, cordia is shaped into a compact tree or shrub; the plant tolerates pruning well.