#Pacific wax myrtle growth rate full#

In the South they’re popular grown as hedges, but these attractive trees can also be used as specimens. Wax myrtle ( Myrica cerifera) is a small, broadleaf evergreen shrub that makes an excellent addition to almost any landscape. When to plant: transplant in spring or fall.Soil requirements: good drainage and slightly acidic soils.

#Pacific wax myrtle growth rate full#

Sun exposure: partial shade to full sun.

Botanical name: Morella cerifera formerly Myrica cerifera.

Tucker for the Georgia Native Plant Society. However, be aware that the cold-hardiness of individuals can vary, so it is best to purchase plants that have been grown in a climate similar to your own. The wax myrtle is a tough and adaptable native plant that is widely used in the landscape trade, so it is fairly easy to find at nurseries. The wax myrtle is even accepting of salt spray, making it suitable for beachside plantings. It tolerates poor soil amazingly well, due to its ability to fix nitrogen through root nodules. Its tolerance for pruning allows it to be shaped into a rather formal structure or trimmed to keep its size in bounds. It is also an attractive specimen and can be limbed up for a tree-like appearance if desired. It is often multi-trunked, and its colonizing root system may form a thicket in some circumstances. The wax myrtle’s evergreen nature makes it an excellent informal hedge or screening plant. In full sun it will create a dense canopy of foliage, while in shade it will exhibit a looser, more open form. In the homeowner’s yard, the public garden, or the city landscape, the wax myrtle will be at home in every condition from damp to dry soil and from sun to shade.

Its versatility as a landscape plant is evidenced by the wide variety of its habitats in the wild, which include dry sandy soils, marshes, upland hardwood forests, pinelands, and swamps. The wax myrtle’s native range includes the coastal plain and piedmont regions of the Southeast from Virginia to Florida and west to Texas, and it will perform admirably in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 through 9. The fruits have a waxy coating that colonists employed to make fragrant candles. Though only about 1/8 inch in diameter, they are an attractive bluish-white and are relished by many songbird species, including the bluebird, tree swallow, catbird, myrtle warbler, and the Georgia State Bird, the brown thrasher. However, the fruits that follow on the female plants are one of the plant’s treasured features. The flowers, which are borne on separate male and female plants, are tiny and relatively insignificant. They are quite aromatic when crushed, releasing a pleasant spicy scent.

The narrow, evergreen leaves area glossy olive-green and are 2 to 4 inches long and 1/4 to 3/4 inches wide.

You may know its botanical name as Myrica cerifera, however, it has recently been reclassified to the Morella genus. The wax myrtle is a member of the bayberry family, Myricaceae. It will quickly reach heights of 15 to 25 feet, though it may stretch to 40 feet. The wax myrtle is a fine-textured, evergreen shrub or small tree.

It is one of the most versatile of our Southeastern landscaping plants, and it offers four seasons of beauty and service. The Georgia Native Plant Society has selected the wax myrtle ( Morella cerifera) as its 2002 Plant of the Year.