Wax Myrtles
The wax myrtle tolerates drought heat and salt.
Wax myrtles. Historically leaves of the wax myrtle tree were used for fragrance and flammability when making candles. The wax covered berries are favorite treats of around 40 bird species. As a rule of thumb if the soil. Excellent screen or specimen.
Wax myrtles generally do not require. If you re a backyard bird watcher add wax myrtle to your plant list it s sure to attract species that you may have never seen before. It sees uses both in the garden and for candlemaking as well as a medicinal plant. Today the wax myrtle is better appreciated for its easy care and salt tolerance.
Native range in the united states myrica cerifera is a small evergreen tree or large shrub native to north and central america and the caribbean. Landscape uses for wax myrtle hedge large accent lining the edge of a pond along the driveway backdrop for smaller plants privacy screen shade plant by the patio or deck along the property border large anchor for a wildlife garden small tree. The glossy olive green aromatic foliage is reminiscent of bayberry candles. Has attractive bark and tends to develop multiple stems.
From 3 to 5 feet of growth per year the wax myrtle is one of the fastest growing privacy hedges. Wax myrtles prefer well draining slightly acidic soils but will adapt to just about any soil type. Description fast growth rate. This fragrance still used today has earned the shrub a common name of southern bayberry.
This shrub tree is no maintenance once established. Also called southern bayberry its name derives from the waxy berries which were once harvested to make bayberry candles. Wax myrtle care involves fertilization and pruning for shape or pruning when limbs are damaged or split off by heavy ice and snow. Wax myrtles are an excellent choice for the florida yard especially coastal areas.
It can grow up to 5 feet in a season and it can be kept low and bushy or pruned up into a tree around 20 feet tall. Wax myrtle is a fast growing shrub or small tree that is extremely hardy and resistant to drought sandy soil beach exposure and salt spray. Wax myrtle produces fruit clusters that contain thousands of berries. Wax myrtles do best when watered around the drip line every 10 to 14 days.
Clusters of waxy bluish gray berries persist through winter. The generic name was derived from the greek word μυρικη myrike meaning fragrance. With dense foliage and a fast.