It’s just hard to walk by our amazing specimen of Forestiera ‘Woodlanders Weeping’ without snapping a photo, but since it’s been several years since we mentioned it on-line, it’s time to share our most recent shot from this week. Forestiera angustifolia, better known as desert olive, is a Texas native from the Southern part of the state, where it ranges from the dry, rocky Chihuahuan Desert habitat to Gulf Coast prairies of East Texas. In the wild, it forms a somewhat scraggly 6′ tall x 6′ wide, semi-evergreen shrub. The weeping form takes a rather homely plant and turns it into our architectural marvel. Also, in our colder winter climate, it goes completely deciduous, which allows us to enjoy the incredible branch structure.
This architectural weeping selection was discovered in Calhoun County, Texas in 1992 by our friend Bob McCartney and the late Texas plantsman, Lynn Lowrey. In 1996, Bob, Lynn, and Patrick McMillan returned to the site for cuttings, from which all cultivated plants arose. We haven’t found a site, either wet or dry, where it doesn’t thrive. Our nine year old specimen has reached 6′ tall x 25′ wide. Winter hardiness is unknown, but at least Zone 7b-9b.
seems like it could become an invasive. does it have fruit??
All flowering plants produce fruit. By the definition, native plants cannot be invasive, so another word must be used…weedy. There are plenty of insanely aggressive, weedy natives we’d never allow in our garden, since they reduce garden biodiversity….think Phytolacca americana (Poke weed), Toxicodendron pubescens (poison ivy), and Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod). This list is actually quite extensive. In almost two decades of growing Foriesteria, we have encountered only 6 seedlings.
Really loved this plant on the garden tour. Had to grab two on my last order.
thanks and yes sorry, natives can not be invasive. when I saw how adaptable it was I just reacted!!