# Anacahuita (*Cordia boissieri*) The Anacahuita is a lovely shrub with bright yellow flowers that bloom in the summer. It can grow tall and is great for attracting butterflies and birds to your garden. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Anacahuita](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cordia_boisseri_whole.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cordia_boisseri_whole.jpg) ## Appearance The Anacahuita is a semi-evergreen shrub or small tree, showcasing clusters of large, crinkled, trumpet-shaped white flowers. Its dark green, fuzzy, oval leaves provide a lush backdrop to the abundant blooms, making it highly conspicuous. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Boraginales - **Family:** Cordiaceae - **Genus:** Cordia ## Interesting facts - Its beautiful white flowers earned it the nickname "Texas Wild Olive." - Its strong wood was once used to craft sturdy tool handles and fence posts. - People can make a tasty jelly from the sticky-sweet fruits of this plant. - The Anacahuita tree is the official state shrub for Texas! ## Special abilities - **Drought Master:** Anacahuita can thrive in dry conditions thanks to its thick, leathery leaves that store water and reduce evaporation. - **Endless Blooms:** Anacahuita has a remarkable ability to produce flowers almost year-round, ensuring a constant food source for pollinators. - **Sweet Disperser:** Anacahuita produces sweet, sticky fruits that attract birds and mammals, helping to spread its seeds far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-800 cm - **Spread:** 300-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Year-round, peaking in spring and summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen from flowers - **Eaten by:** Virginia opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) — forages on its sweet, sticky fruits - **Eaten by:** [Long-billed Thrasher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-billed-thrasher) (*Toxostoma longirostre*) — enjoys the plant's juicy fruits - **Shelter:** [Northern Cardinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-cardinal) (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) — builds nests within its dense branches ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always be gentle around plants and ask an adult before touching them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Anacahuita? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Anacahuita? 300-800 cm ### How wide does Anacahuita spread? 300-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on Anacahuita? 3-5 cm ### When does Anacahuita bloom? Year-round, peaking in spring and summer ### Is Anacahuita edible? Yes ### Is Anacahuita toxic? None ### What is Anacahuita's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Texas State Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/texas-state-aquarium) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Fort Duncan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-duncan) — US · Historic Site - [Fort McIntosh](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-mcintosh) — US · Historic Site [View all places to see Anacahuita](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/anacahuita) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Anacahuita: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/anacahuita)