Woody > Morella > Morella cerifera > Morella cerifera
Morella cerifera
Southern Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry, Candleberry, Bayberry Tree
Origin: Native to North America.
| Family |
| Myricaceae |
| Genus |
| Morella |
| Species |
| cerifera |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| Synonyms |
| Myrica cerifera |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 7b - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7b - 9b |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1c - H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -15 - 10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 0 - 50 |
| Height |
| 4 - 8 m |
| Spread |
| 6 - 8 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
click to expand
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| Screening, container planting and as a landscape plant. |
| Cultivation |
| Full sun to full shade, moist alkaline soils and is fairly drought tolerant. |
| Shape |
| Irregular form but slightly round, vase-shape. Drooping branches as plant ages. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| Caterpillars, mites, webworms and cankers. Susceptible to wilt disease. |
| Habitat |
| Dry prairies. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Thin and aromatic as it grows. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Small apical buds. Round and slightly pointed at tip. Roughly 2 - 4 cm long. |
| Leaf Description |
| Flat, broad shaped leaves. 5 - 10 cm long with simple leaf blades. Serrate leaf margin with pinnate leaf venation. |
| Flower Description |
| Clusters of small flowers. |
| Fruit Description |
| Round fruit in clusters. Female plants grow berries. Each axillary stem typically has 1 to 12 fruit. |
| Colour Description |
| The bark is grey. Buds, flowers and leaves are green in colour. The fruit are greenish-blue in colour. |
| Texture Description |
| The bark is smooth. The leaves and fruit have a waxy texture. |
| Propagation |
| Seed. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| First used in 1699 for medicinal use. The bark, leaves and fruit hold pharmaceutical chemicals. Common use for making wax for bayberry candles. |
top