| Common Name: |
Wax Myrtle |
| Scientific Name: |
Morella cerifera; syn. Myrica cerifera |
| Other Name(s): |
Aka Candleberry, Dwarf Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry, Southern Wax Myrtle |
| Category: |
Shrub |
| Habit: |
Evergreen |
| Bloom Color: |
Drab yellowish-green |
| Bloom Size: |
Flowers on male plants (catkins to 1 in. long) |
| Bloom Season: |
Late winter to early spring |
| Fruit Description: |
Pollinated female flowers are followed by small attractive clusters of tiny, globose, blue-gray fruits which mature in late summer to fall, with persistence through winter. Each fruit is surrounded by an aromatic waxy substance. |
| Fragrance: |
Fragrant |
| Foliage Description: |
Glossy, aromatic, oblanceolate, olive green leaves (to 3-5 in. long) are dotted with tiny yellow resin glands. Leaves, particularly the new growth, emit the distinctive bayberry candle fragrance when crushed |
| Height of Plant: |
10-15 ft. |
| Spread of Plant: |
8-10 ft. |
| Hardiness: |
USDA Zones 7 - 10 |
| Light Requirements: |
Full sun to part shade |
| Water Usage: |
Medium to wet |
| Native Range: |
Native to the Southeastern U. S. from New Jersey to Florida through the Gulf States to Oklahoma and Texas and further south into Mexico, Central America and Caribbean |
| Propagation: |
Stem, top and root cuttings; chunks of root mass dug up & planted will send up new stems |
| Maintenance: |
Low |
| Photographer: |
Jon Wooten |
| Location: |
Native Plant Garden |