wax myrtle
Myrica cerifera
USDA zones7 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size10 to 20 feet tall8 to 10 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Green
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) is a shrub for hedges, privacy screens, and borders. It is hardy to USDA zone 7, or down to 0°F (-18°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first. The leaves smell spicy when crushed, and birds eat the berries on female plants. You need male plants nearby if you want berries.
Pairs well with Weeping yaupon holly, Beautyberry, and Swamp azalea.
Native range
AL, AR, DE, FL, and 12 more places. See all 16
AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TX, VA, and WV.