Myrica cerifera, Southern Waxmyrtle is a beautiful native evergreen that should be included in more landscapes. Waxmyrtle receives the Plant of the Month award at the Wilson Display Garden. It is located in the tree planting site at 1806 S. Goldsboro Street.

One of the most distinctive features of this plant in the small, gray-blue, waxy-coated fruit and the leaves when crushed have the fragrance of bayberry.

Waxmyrtle leaves are an evergreen glossy olive green with yellow dots (glands) on the underside of the leaf. Leaf drop can occur if temperatures reach 0 degrees. This plant can be grown in either shrub or tree form. Growing in it's natural habit, Waxmyrtle is quite beautiful and wispy that grows 10 to 15 feet in height and width. Because of this open habit when we get ice storms the plant limbs can break. Typically, pruning the plant can get it back into shape even after such an event. If growing Waxmyrtle as a tree the plant does have attractive light gray bark.

This plant grows native along are road-sides in wet areas but does quickly well in well-drained garden soil. It tolerates infertile soils but will grow more vigorously with watering and fertilizing. This plant also tolerates salt sprays so can be used at the coast.

Plant Waxmyrtle in full sun to partial shade. It can be transplanted either balled and burlapped or by container. Waxmyrtle has some reported pests but I have not experienced these in the Wilson Display Garden. Leaf spotting and a "mosaic- type" leaf distortion has been seen in Florida.

Waxmyrtle is excellent for textural effects and softening vertical lines of buildings or fences.

Many different cultivars of Waxmyrtle have become available. "Don's Dwarf" is a compact form (2 feet). A variegated form was discovered at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh and is being evaluated.

If you are trying to propagate Waxmyrtle, May through August is the best time of year, with or without a rooting hormone.

Come out and visit the garden to see the winter interest plants such as ornamental grasses, conifers, hollies, and red twig dogwoods.

Date Created: 12/12/00.