Wax Myrtle (Myrica spp.)

Fundamental Facts

HARDINESS: Zones 3 to 10
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Slightly acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Adaptable
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun to partial shade
ATTRIBUTES: Fragrant foliage, waxy fruits; for beds, hedges, foundations
SEASON OF INTEREST: Year-round
FAVORITES: Cold-tolerant M. pensylvanica; heat-tolerant M. cerifera, M. californica
QUIRKS: Foliage and berries are used to scent candles
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Holly, juniper, lacebark pine, mahonia, mugo pine, ornamental grasses
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Sun to partial shade in sandy, infertile soil
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Spider mites are a rare pest in hot, dry weather; otherwise care-free
PRUNING: Lives for years; prune in spring to remove any damaged branches
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: M. pensylvanica 5-10 ft (1.5-3 m) tall and wide; M. cerifera and M. californica 15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m) tall and wide

Wax Myrtle in the Landscape

Three North American native species of Myrica grow in the wild and in gardens across North America and have two common names: wax myrtle and bayberry. Both names describe their most significant features, which are waxy blue-gray berries and scented foliage that smells like the bay leaf used in cooking. The plants are also sometimes known as candleberry, as the fruits have long been used to make scented candles.

Because all species tolerate salt spray and salty or poor soil, they are indispensable for coastal and roadside gardens. Wax myrtles are even tough enough to form screens that block sea spray. The plants can be massed on dry slopes or combined in a shrub border or foundation planting, where they work well with broadleaf evergreens. They are also all tolerant of shearing, which is used to sculpt interesting shapes, control plant size, and groom hedges. But the species are quite different, and the one you select depends on your hardiness zone.

Climate Considerations

Myrica pensylvanica, which is also known as bayberry, northern bayberry, or as northern wax myrtle, is hardy to Zone 3 winters. It can be evergreen when grown in a protected spot, but the bright green, glossy leaves usually turn bronze briefly in fall before dropping sometime in the winter. The plant can reach a height of 5-10 ft (1.5-3 m), and it has a dense, stiff habit.

M. cerifera is called wax myrtle, southern wax myrtle, and southern bayberry. Hardy to Zone 7, this evergreen grows 15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m) tall and has a graceful, willowy shape that sways in the breeze. Its light green leaves are slender, leathery, and intensely fragrant when crushed.

M. californica is called California wax myrtle or California bayberry and is similar in shape and habit to wax myrtle. Native to the Pacific coast, it has lustrous, bronze-tinted evergreen leaves that can reach 4 in (10.2 cm) long and purplish blue berries.

Growing Wax Myrtle

Purchase container-grown plants in spring and set them out in roomy planting holes that have been modestly amended with organic matter. Wax myrtles prefer dry, poor sand but will do well in a variety of conditions, including moist day. These shrubs often show new growth within weeks after planting and quickly establish themselves in their permanent site.

Pruning is not actually needed except to remove storm-damaged wood or restrict spread. However, if you are growing wax myrtle as a sheared hedge in colder areas, stop pruning 6 weeks before the first fall frost to give new growth time to harden off before winter comes.

M. pensylvanica is a modest spreader, sending up suckers, or underground shoots, a few feet away from the base of the parent plant. Pull them up. rather than cutting them, any time of year if you want to prevent the plant from spreading. The other wax myrtles seldom spread in this way, but in Zones 9 and 10 they may grow to tree size. Pruning off the lowest branches often enhances their appearance and helps showcase the smooth, gray bark.

Pest problems are rare and usually limited to small outbreaks of spider mites in dry, hot weather. These sap-sucking insects feed on leaf undersides and make the foliage appear bleached or parched. You can knock them off plants with a strong spray of water from a hose or control them with insecticidal soap applied according to package directions.