Shrub
Littleleaf Cordia
Cordia parvifolia · Boraginaceae
Also called: Little-leaf Cordia, Littleleaf Geiger, Mexican Olive (loosely)
Littleleaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia) is a low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 6-10 ft H x 8-10 ft W in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Littleleaf Cordia at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (best flowering and dense form); tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 6-10 ft H x 8-10 ft W
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Pure white (crepe-paper-like, trumpet-shaped flowers), Spring through fall, in flushes triggered by rain or irrigation; heaviest after summer monsoon storms.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 15-20 F (USDA zones 8b-11); foliage may show frost damage below ~20 F but recovers in spring.
- Soil
- Tolerant of poor, rocky, alkaline native desert soils; requires good drainage.
- Native range
- Chihuahuan and Sonoran Desert regions of north-central and northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila); not native to Arizona, though well adapted to the Tucson low desert.
- Best used as
- Accent shrub, Informal screen or background, Filler, Large-scale bank/slope cover, Xeric and desert-themed plantings
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and other pollinators; provides cover for birds.
- Toxicity
- No significant toxicity reported; not listed as toxic to people or pets.
How to grow Littleleaf Cordia in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; deep-water every 2-3 weeks in summer to keep it blooming and looking full, less in winter. Excess water causes rank, floppy growth.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Generally needs no fertilizer in native soil; a single light application of a balanced or slow-release fertilizer in spring is sufficient if faster growth or denser foliage is desired.
Pruning & care
Prune lightly to shape after a bloom flush; avoid shearing, which ruins the natural airy form. Selectively thin and tip-prune in late spring; hard-prune only to rejuvenate leggy plants.
Notes
Semi-evergreen to evergreen; the small leathery gray-green leaves and rough sandpapery texture distinguish it. Blooms appear in dramatic white flushes after rain. One of the most drought-tolerant flowering shrubs for low-desert landscapes.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert (Little Leaf Cordia); Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Plant Care Information sheet (Cordia parvifolia); ASU (M. Martin) Desert Landscape Plants database; Water Use It Wisely (Plant of the Month: Cordia)