Too much of a good thing means TLC for my Mexican olive tree…

We’ve had about 7 inches of glorious rain over the course of the last week.  Plants that were gasping in the drought are lush and full.  Plants are re-blooming and those that didn’t bloom at all are now full of color.  It’s been heartwarming to witness.

One reason the rain has made such a difference because we’ve had so much of it.  It’s also because rain water is so much better than treated municipal water because it is “soft” water that is oxygenated and has a relatively neutral pH.  (Unlike more industrial areas that may experience acid rain)

There have been a few casualties, though.  After the 6″ deluge last weekend, I went out to inspect everything and discovered that my new Mexican Olive tree was lying down – literally.  At the end of a slight slope, the rush of water loosened the soil enough that the top heavy canopy and lack of well-established roots toppled the tree. 

I knew I had to act quickly — I had no stakes and the ground was squishy with more rain coming.  So, necessity being the mother of invention, I pushed up the trunk with my back and used a sturdy  outdoor chair to brace it.  Then I used a roll of plant tie on the other side to keep it upright, tied around a neighboring tree. 

It’s still working.  When the ground dries up it will clearly need to be staked for a while.  That will be at the top of my garden to-do list, because this tree has become my new favorite. 

The Mexican Olive tree, Cordia boissieri,can grow  to 30 feet tall and it has  large, dark green leaves and bold clusters of trumpet-shaped white flowers that are ruffled like crepe paper. It also has an attractive, structual trunk. It can’t tolerate really cold winters, but it has been grown with success in Austin, when we don’t have a winter like several years ago with 3 days and nights below freezing.  It is drought tolerant and attracts birds and butterflies with its bloom and fruit. 

 I’ll keep babying mine along – I can’t wait to see it in its full-grown glory.