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WAX MYRTLE AT A GLANCE

COMMON NAME: Wax myrtle

SPECIES: Myrica (mir-i'ka) cerifera (se-rif'fer-ra). Myrica is old Greek name, possibly for for tamarisk, which is a slender-branched shrub or small tree common near salt water. Cerifera means wax-bearing.

SIZE: 10-12 feet tall, 8-10 feet spread.

EXPOSURE: Sun to part shade. Tolerates salt spray and wind.

FOLIAGE: Slender evergreen leaves 1-3 inches.

BERRIES: Greenish-grayish waxlike, aromatic fruit on female plants. Liked by birds.

CULTURE: Medium drainage, soil and moisture. Thrives in almost any situation, including bogs. Tolerates salt water, spray and wind.

PRUNING: None needed; can be pruned up into small tree.

USES: Screening, hedges, borders, background material. Trim to tree form for planter boxes. Looks good with junipers.

PROBLEMS: None.

RELATED VARIETY: Myrica pensylvanica, or bayberry, similiar culture needs as wax myrtle; dense, mounded and spreading growth habit.

Sources: Landscape Plants of the Southeast, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Taylor's Guide to Shrubs

June 1998

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