Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Texas Olive Tree
Texas olive is a small flowering tree from southern Texas and Mexico with a rounded, dense crown and large, leathery leaves. Clusters of white flowers with yellow throats open from spring through fall, and hummingbirds visit them. Trained up on a few trunks, it makes a patio tree about 15 to 20 feet tall. It takes full sun and reflected heat and gets by on moderate water once it is rooted.
Best for: a small flowering tree by a patio, dense shade in a hot, sunny corner, a white-flowered accent tree in the front yard, and hummingbirds through the warm months.
Trained on one or several trunks, Texas olive grows into a small tree about 15 to 20 feet tall with a rounded crown and no thorns. Set it back from the paving, because the fruit can stain hard surfaces.
White flowers with yellow throats, about 2 inches across, open in clusters from spring through fall. The biggest show comes in spring, with another flush after the summer rains. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the flowers.
The crown is dense and gives solid shade once the tree has size. It takes full sun and reflected heat, so it fits a hot corner or a spot near a west wall. It grows slowly, so a larger size gets you shade sooner.
It is slow, and it stays slower still on very little water. Flowers, leaves and olive-like fruit drop through the year, so keep it back from pools and patios. Leaves brown in the mid 20s°F, and the tree can look thin until spring.
- Tree to tree20 ft or more apart, center to center
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then every 5 to 7 days for the next two. Stretch it to every 7 to 10 days, then every 10 to 14 days by the end of the second month.
Soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. More summer water makes it grow faster and bloom more. Never keep the soil soggy, because the roots can rot.
Raise the canopy a little at a time over several years, and always leave a full head of leaves. Remove low shoots that you do not want as trunks. Beyond that it needs little pruning.
Leaves are damaged in the mid 20s°F, and branches can die back below about 22°F. Cover a young tree with frost cloth on freezing nights. Wait for new growth in spring, then cut off dead branches.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does a Texas olive tree get?
In the Valley most reach about 15 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, with a rounded crown. Give it room to spread.
How fast does Texas olive grow?
It is a slow grower. It grows faster with regular deep water in summer, especially while it is young, so water it well in its first years if you want size sooner.
Which size should I buy?
Because it is slow, buy the largest size that fits your budget if you want a tree soon. The 5 gallon is the budget start, and the size guide describes each one.
When does Texas olive bloom?
It blooms from spring through fall. The heaviest bloom comes in spring, and another flush follows the summer rains. A deep soak in the warm months helps bring on more flowers.
Does Texas olive attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the white flowers, and bees do too. Birds eat the fruit that follows.
How do I train Texas olive into a tree?
Left alone it grows as a large shrub. To make a tree, raise the canopy a little at a time over several years and always leave plenty of leaves on it. Keep one trunk or several, whichever you like.
How often should I water a Texas olive tree?
Once it is rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. Let the soil dry between soaks, because soggy soil can rot the roots.
How cold hardy is Texas olive, and is it evergreen?
It is rated hardy to about 22°F and keeps its leaves in mild winters. Leaves are damaged in the mid 20s°F and can drop. Wait until new growth starts in spring, then prune off any dead branches.
Is Texas olive messy, and can I plant it by a pool?
It drops flowers, leaves and fruit through the year, and the fruit makes a mess on paving. Plant it set back from pools, patios, walks and driveways.
Can you eat the fruit, and is it a real olive?
It is not related to the true olive. The pale, olive-like fruit is edible but not tasty, and the fresh fruit is slightly toxic, so leave it for the birds.
What soil does Texas olive need?
It grows in many soils, including sand, clay and rocky ground. It does best where water drains, so avoid low spots where water stands.
Does Texas olive take reflected heat?
Yes. It does well in full sun and reflected heat, so it fits a hot corner or a spot near a west wall.
Texas Olive Tree for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Texas olive is a small tree from southern Texas and Mexico that Valley homeowners plant for its white flowers, which keep coming from spring through fall. It has a rounded, dense crown, takes full sun and reflected heat, and runs on little water once rooted. Below is what to expect from the tree form, from size, speed and training to water, cold and which size to buy.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does a Texas olive tree get in Arizona?
Plan on about 15 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide in the Valley. The crown is rounded and dense. It reaches that size slowly, so many people start with a larger tree.
Is Texas olive a fast growing tree?
No, it is slow. Regular deep water in summer speeds it up, and it stays very slow on little water while young. A 25 gallon or boxed tree saves years of waiting.
When does Texas olive bloom in Phoenix?
White flowers with yellow throats open from spring through fall. The heaviest bloom is in spring, with a second flush in fall after the summer rains.
How often do you water a Texas olive tree?
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter. New trees need water every few days at first. Let the soil dry between soaks.
How do you prune Texas olive into a tree?
Raise the canopy slowly over several years and leave plenty of leaves on the tree each time. It can be kept on one trunk or several. It needs little pruning once it has its shape.
How cold hardy is Texas olive?
It is rated hardy to about 22°F. Leaves are damaged in the mid 20s°F and can drop, and the tree leafs out again in spring. Prune dead branches after new growth starts.
Is Texas olive messy?
It drops flowers, leaves and olive-like fruit through the year, and the fruit can stain paving. Plant it back from pools, patios, walks and driveways.
Texas olive tree vs Texas olive shrub
They are the same plant. The tree form has its canopy raised on one or several trunks. The shrub form is left full to the ground for screening, and we carry both forms.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.