| Common Name: |
Southern Wax Myrtle |
| Scientific Name: |
Morella cerifera |
| Other Name(s): |
Aka Southern Bayberry |
| Category: |
Shrub |
| Habit: |
Evergreen |
| Bloom Color: |
Drab yellow-green male flowers |
| Bloom Size: |
Catkins to 1 in. long |
| Bloom Season: |
Late winter to early spring |
| Fruit Description: |
The fruits of this species have been used for many years to make bayberry candles, soaps and sealing wax |
| Fragrance: |
Leaves, particularly the new growth, emit the distinctive bayberry candle fragrance when crushed |
| Foliage Description: |
Glossy, aromatic, oblanceolate, olive green leaves (to 3-5 in. long) are dotted with tiny yellow resin glands |
| 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 |
| Soil Type: |
Easily grown in average soils; will grow in a wide range of soil conditions ranging from wet swampy areas to dry xeric uplands |
| Native Range: |
Southern United States, Central America, Caribbean |
| Propagation: |
Birds eat the fruits in fall and winter, thus helping the plants to naturalize by disbursing the seed |
| Maintenance: |
Low |
| Other Information: |
This species is dioecious (male and female flowers borne in catkins on separate plants). Female plants are preferred in the landscape because they produce the attractive and sometimes useful fruit. At least one male plant is needed to facilitate pollination of the female flowers. |
| Location: |
SWIZ Garden |