1 / 2

Cordia spp.

Manjack and geiger trees

Boraginaceae

Tropical and subtropical Americas, Africa, and Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Cordia spp. is a genus of about 300 species of trees and shrubs in the borage family (Boraginaceae), found through the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Plants range from large shrubs to trees 3-20 m (10-65 ft) tall, with simple, alternate leaves that are often large and rough or sandpapery to the touch. Many species carry showy clusters of funnel- or trumpet-shaped flowers in orange, white, yellow, or cream; C. sebestena, the geiger tree, bears clusters of orange flowers, while C. boissieri, the Texas olive, has crinkled white flowers with a yellow throat. The flowers are followed by fleshy drupes, some sweet and edible, others enclosed in a papery calyx. Several species, including C. dodecandra and C. alliodora, yield hard, figured timber such as ziricote, used for furniture and instruments. Cordia spp. grows in warm, frost-free climates and tolerates heat, drought, salt, and poor soils once established. The chief limitation is cold sensitivity, with most species damaged or killed by hard frost, and some produce abundant seed that can naturalise in disturbed tropical ground.

Native Range

Native across the tropical and subtropical Americas, Africa, and Asia, with the greatest number of species in tropical America. C. boissieri reaches into southern Texas and northern Mexico, and C. sebestena is native to the Caribbean and southern Florida.

Suggested Uses

Grown as flowering shade, street, and specimen trees in tropical and subtropical gardens, as drought-tolerant hedging and screening, and as timber and fruit trees in their native range. Salt and drought tolerance suit coastal and xeriscape plantings in frost-free climates.

How to Identify

Recognised by rough, sandpapery alternate leaves and clusters of funnel-shaped orange, white, or yellow flowers, followed by fleshy drupes often sitting in a persistent papery calyx. The coarse leaf surface and the showy tubular flowers separate Cordia spp. from most other members of the borage family, which are mostly herbs with smaller flowers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10' - 65'

Width/Spread10' - 40'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

Spring Summer Fall

Flowering varies with climate; many species, including C. sebestena, bloom in flushes through much of the warm season or nearly year-round in frost-free areas. Others flower mainly in spring and summer. The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and are followed by drupes that ripen over several weeks.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

orange, white, yellow, or cream

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

4-8 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Cordia spp. grows in full sun in free-draining soil and tolerates heat, drought, wind, and coastal salt once established, making the genus suited to warm, dry, and seaside gardens. The plants need frost-free or nearly frost-free conditions and are damaged below about 0 C (32 F). Young plants are watered until established, after which most species are drought-tolerant. Pruning shapes the canopy and removes frost-damaged growth in spring. Propagation is from seed, which can be slow, or from semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings. In wet, cold, or poorly drained soils the plants decline and are prone to root rot.

Pruning

Trees and shrubs are pruned in spring after the last frost to shape the canopy, raise the crown, or remove cold-damaged wood. Shrubby species tolerate harder cutting back and can be renewed from old wood. Light tip-pruning keeps hedging species dense.