Myrica cerifera
An evergreen coastal dune shrub-to-small tree with aromatic leaves and blue wax-coated fruits, highly adaptable to wet or dry soils, tolerant of salt spray and drought, dioecious with catkins, nitrogen-fixing roots, and valued for wildlife habitat, feeding birds and attracting bees and butterflies, commonly used for hedges, screens, and coastal restoration.
Common Names
Southern Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry, Candleberry, Wax Myrtle, Tallow Shrub, Bayberry Tree, Bayberry, Dwarf Bayberry
Summary
Wax Myrtle is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the southeastern United States coastal plain, typically 10–25 ft tall with a dense rounded crown; leaves are aromatic and olive-green, and spring catkins precede wax-coated globular berries on female plants that persist through winter, with two forms—shrub-like in dry sandy areas and more tree-like in damper soils with larger leaves—often forming colonies via root suckers and showing high salt and wind tolerance with broad moisture tolerance.
For cultivation, it favors full sun to partial shade in well-drained soils with constant moisture but not waterlogged, tolerates drought, and is suitable as a hedge, screen, or seaside landscape plant; spacing ranges from 6–10 ft depending on use, and propagation is by seeds or cuttings; being dioecious, both male and female plants are needed for berry production, and nitrogen fixation occurs via root nodules of Frankia; pruning is well-tolerated and best done in late winter, while wildlife value includes berries for birds and nectar for native bees, and it is commonly used for erosion control and coastal plantings.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
10-25 feet
Spread
15-20 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 7-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, typically slightly acidic, with broad tolerance to sandy, loamy, or clay textures and to wet, dry, or coastal conditions.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
3.7–6.5
Bloom Color
Green to yellow-green
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green to olive-green foliage, including yellow-green, with glossy green leaves.
Fall Foliage Color
No color change; leaves stay green.
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
2–4 ft per year (approximately 0.6–1.2 m/year)
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division, Tissue culture, Runners
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 1024 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fagales
- Family
- Myricaceae
- Genus
- Myrica
Synonyms
Lacistema alterum Myrica verrucosa Myrica xalapensis Myrica domingana Myrica microstachya Myrica microcarpa Myrica reticulata Myrica pusilla Myrica jamaicensis Myrica altera Myrica apiculata Morella pumila Myrica mexicana var. subglabra Myrica mexicana var. fastuosa Cerophora angustifolia Cerophora inodora Cerophora lanceolata Cerophora spicans Cerothamnus ceriferus Cerothamnus pumilus Myrica cerifera var. pumila Myrica cerifera var. arborescens Myrica pumila Pimecaria odorata Morella domingana Myrica cerifera var. dubia Myrica microcarpa var. angustifolia Myrica polycarpa Myrica cerifera var. arborescens Myrica cerifera var. angustifolia Lacistema berteroanum Myrica mexicana Morella cerifera