All plants /Shrub /Anacahuita
Anacahuita
Cordia boissieri, borage family. Uncommon in West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- White-fleshed fruit; showy flowers
- How
- Fruit cooked into a preserve
- When
- Summer
- Where
- South Texas, the 'wild olive'
- Value
- Sugars
Caution: The fruit is eaten cooked and in moderation; large amounts of the raw fruit can be purgative. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Big crepe-papery white flowers with yellow throats bloom much of the year on this South Texas shrub, followed by pale olive-like fruit.
In the kitchen
Traditionally simmered into a sweet preserve; the flowers are also used in folk remedies.
Photo: Miwasatoshi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.