Myrica caroliniensis
Coastal East Coast native evergreen shrub with fragrant, waxy leaves and small waxy berries, salt-, wind-, drought-, and pollution-tolerant, suckers to form colonies, provides dense wildlife shelter and nectar for pollinators, and has nitrogen-fixing roots with historical uses in gardening, candlemaking, and herbal medicine.
Common Names
Southern Bayberry, Evergreen Bayberry, Pocosin Bayberry, Bayberry, Swamp Bayberry, Wasgagel
Summary
Southern bayberry is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the coastal plains of southeastern North America, with a range from Pennsylvania to eastern Texas. It inhabits wetlands and dunes, often forming colonies via rhizomes, and has a dense, spreading growth habit. Distinctive features include leathery, gland-dotted leaves with fragrance and clusters of waxy, pale blue to white drupes on female plants; the plant is dioecious, with separate male and female flowers, and roots form nitrogen-fixing nodules with Frankia.
In cultivation it prefers full sun to part shade in moist, acidic soils and can tolerate drought, but not inundation by salty or brackish water. It propagates by seed from female plants or by rhizomatous spread to form colonies. Practical uses include ornamental plantings and wildlife habitat; candle wax derived from the fruits historically used in candle making; fruits are eaten by birds (yellow-rumped warblers) in fall/winter, and the plant serves as a larval host for the Red-Banded Hairstreak butterfly.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4 ft 11 in – 9 ft 10 in
Spread
5-9 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 7a–9b
Sunlight Requirements
Full Sun: 6+ hours direct sunlight, Partial Sun: not specified, Partial Shade: 2–6 hours direct sunlight part of the day (dappled shade), Full Shade: not specified.
Soil Type
Peaty, acidic, nitrogen-poor wetland soil
Soil Drainage
Poorly drained soils
Soil pH
Acidic (low pH)
Bloom Color
Yellow to green
Bloom Time
Late spring to early summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Medium
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Rhizomes, Root suckers, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Mill.
- Publication
- Gard. Dict., ed. 8. : n.° 3 (1768)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fagales
- Family
- Myricaceae
- Genus
- Myrica
Synonyms
Myrica caroliniana Myrica pennsylvanica Cerothamnus heterophyllus Myrica heterophylla Myrica heterophylla var. curtissii Morella caroliniensis Myrica cerifera var. latifolia Myrica curtissii var. media Myrica sessilifolia Myrica sessilifolia var. latifolia Myrica cerifera var. media Myrica curtissii