{"title":"Myrica (Bayberries \u0026 Wax Myrtles)","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrush a leaf of any \u003cem\u003eMyrica\u003c\/em\u003e and the whole plant declares itself, spicy and balsamic, the scent that gives the bayberries and wax myrtles their name. The gray berries wear a coat of true wax, once boiled off in kettles to pour bayberry candles that burn clean and faintly fragrant. Underground the plants strike a bargain with \u003cem\u003eFrankia\u003c\/em\u003e bacteria and fix their own nitrogen, which is how a wax myrtle thrives on poor coastal sand where fussier shrubs starve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA word on names, honestly given: botanists now place the southern wax myrtle, long grown as \u003cem\u003eMyrica cerifera\u003c\/em\u003e, in the genus \u003cem\u003eMorella\u003c\/em\u003e, though the old name is the one most gardeners still search. The clan ranges from that tough evergreen screen to \u003cem\u003eMyrica rubra\u003c\/em\u003e, the Chinese yangmei, a fruiting tree whose sweet-tart red drupes have been prized across East Asia for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"myrica-cerifera-luray","title":"Myrica cerifera ‘Luray’","description":"\u003cp\u003eSouthern wax myrtle, long known as \u003cem\u003eMyrica cerifera\u003c\/em\u003e and now often placed in the genus \u003cem\u003eMorella\u003c\/em\u003e, is one of the most useful evergreens of the Southeast, a fast, aromatic large shrub or small tree of the coastal plain. 'Luray' is a male clone selected in Hampton County, South Carolina, by the plantsman Bob McCartney for a notably dense habit and a compact, semi-dwarf form. Brush the olive-green leaves and a clean, resinous, bay-like scent rises, the same fragrance that gives the tribe the old names wax myrtle and bayberry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bayberry name carries a piece of early American history, though a caveat comes with it here. On female wax myrtles, the small blue-gray berries are coated in a fragrant wax that colonists boiled off to make the clean-burning, sweet-scented bayberry candles still associated with the holidays. 'Luray', being a male selection, sets no fruit and makes no wax, so this plant is grown for foliage and form rather than candles, and does a second quiet job besides: a male nearby pollinates the female wax myrtles so that they, in turn, can fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew shrubs are so accommodating. Wax myrtle grows wild in low, moist ground, yet shrugs off drought once established, tolerates salt spray and poor sandy soil, and fixes nitrogen at the roots through a bacterial partnership, improving lean ground while growing. The dense evergreen foliage shelters birds, deer tend to leave the aromatic leaves alone, and the fast growth knits a screen in a hurry. Plant in acid soil, in full sun to part shade, and expect easy, trouble-free vigor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe compact, semi-dwarf form of 'Luray' makes the selection far easier to place than the full-sized wax myrtle: a tidy evergreen hedge or screen, an informal foundation planting, a wildlife border, or a clipped specimen that takes shearing without complaint. Site the shrub where a dependable, fine-textured evergreen is wanted, pair with other acid-loving natives, and set the plant within range of female wax myrtles if berries on those companions are the goal. Little care is needed beyond the occasional trim to shape.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057925951603,"sku":"MYRI-CERI-LURA-01G","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/DETA-448.jpg?v=1720139703"},{"product_id":"myrica-cerifera-emperor","title":"Myrica cerifera 'Emperor'","description":"\u003cp\u003eSouthern wax myrtle is one of the hardest-working native evergreens of the Southeast, and 'Emperor' is a nursery selection of that adaptable shrub. Fast-growing and densely branched, wax myrtle forms a large evergreen shrub or a small multi-trunked tree, clothed in narrow, olive-green leaves that release a clean, spicy, bayberry scent when crushed. The plant thrives where many shrubs fail, from wet ground to dry sand, in sun or shade, on the coast or inland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBotanists file the species as Myrica cerifera, though many now move the plant to the genus Morella, and the epithet cerifera says the essential thing: wax-bearing. The names bayberry and candleberry come from the same trait. Like the rest of the family, wax myrtle fixes nitrogen through root partnerships with soil bacteria, which is why the shrub prospers in poor, sandy ground where other plants starve. Salt spray, wind, and coastal exposure trouble the plant very little.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWax myrtle is dioecious, male and female flowers borne on separate plants, the flowers themselves small greenish catkins of no ornamental account. On female plants those catkins give way to tight clusters of small, blue-gray berries sheathed in fragrant wax, the wax that colonists once boiled and skimmed to pour bayberry candles. The berries are a winter mainstay for birds, the yellow-rumped or myrtle warbler most famously, which takes its very name from this plant. Whether a given selection fruits depends on whether the plant is female, worth confirming when berries are the goal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is old medicine here too: the astringent root bark of bayberry was a staple of early American and Eclectic practice, used for sore throats, colds, and digestive complaints, though the bark is tannin-rich and was never a casual remedy. In the garden, wax myrtle earns a place as a fast evergreen screen, an informal hedge, a coastal windbreak, or a limbed-up small specimen tree, largely untouched by deer and pests. One honest caution comes with the virtues: the aromatic foliage is oil-rich and flammable, so site the shrub away from the house in fire-prone country.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057926049907,"sku":"MYRI-CERI-EMPE-01G","price":18.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"myrica-inodora","title":"Myrica inodora","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"222\" data-end=\"321\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"222\" data-end=\"321\"\u003eA rare, moisture-loving native shrub perfect for wetland restoration and naturalistic landscapes.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"323\" data-end=\"706\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"323\" data-end=\"341\"\u003eMyrica inodora\u003c\/strong\u003e, commonly known as \u003cstrong data-start=\"361\" data-end=\"382\"\u003eOdorless Bayberry\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a unique, semi-evergreen shrub native to the moist lowlands of the southeastern United States. Unlike its aromatic relatives, this species is prized not for scent, but for its quiet adaptability and ecological value—making it a standout choice for wetland gardens, rain gardens, and native habitat restoration projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"708\" data-end=\"1197\"\u003eGrowing 6 to 12 feet tall with a rounded, shrubby habit, \u003cem data-start=\"765\" data-end=\"781\"\u003eMyrica inodora\u003c\/em\u003e features leathery, glossy green leaves that remain on the plant well into winter in milder climates. Its name—\u003cstrong data-start=\"892\" data-end=\"905\"\u003e“inodora”\u003c\/strong\u003e—refers to the lack of fragrance in its leaves, setting it apart from better-known relatives like \u003cem data-start=\"1003\" data-end=\"1020\"\u003eMyrica cerifera\u003c\/em\u003e (Southern Wax Myrtle). In spring, inconspicuous flowers give way to small, waxy fruits that provide food for birds and other wildlife, further boosting its ecological benefits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1199\" data-end=\"1565\"\u003eThis resilient native thrives in \u003cstrong data-start=\"1232\" data-end=\"1262\"\u003emoist to wet, acidic soils\u003c\/strong\u003e and tolerates both partial shade and full sun. It naturally occurs along streambanks, swamp edges, and wet pine savannas, making it a superb choice for areas with poor drainage or seasonal flooding. Its tolerance for wet soils also makes it a go-to option for erosion control and stormwater mitigation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1567\" data-end=\"1570\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1572\" data-end=\"2057\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1572\" data-end=\"1592\"\u003eBotanical Origin\u003c\/strong\u003e: Southeastern United States\u003cbr data-start=\"1756\" data-end=\"1759\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1759\" data-end=\"1770\"\u003eFoliage\u003c\/strong\u003e: Semi-evergreen; leathery and glossy green\u003cbr data-start=\"1813\" data-end=\"1816\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1816\" data-end=\"1826\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eHeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 6–12 feet\u003cbr data-start=\"1837\" data-end=\"1840\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1840\" data-end=\"1858\"\u003eWildlife Value\u003c\/strong\u003e: Provides shelter and food for birds\u003cbr data-start=\"1895\" data-end=\"1898\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1898\" data-end=\"1916\"\u003eNotable Traits\u003c\/strong\u003e: Wetland tolerant, low-maintenance, native\u003cbr data-start=\"1959\" data-end=\"1962\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1962\" data-end=\"1976\"\u003eGarden Use\u003c\/strong\u003e: Rain gardens, wetland buffers, naturalistic plantings, ecological restoration\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057926115443,"sku":"MYRI-INOD-01G","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/MyricainodoraGilNelsonWoodlanders1.png?v=1749131321"},{"product_id":"myrica-rubra","title":"Myrica rubra","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMyrica rubra\u003c\/em\u003e, the Chinese bayberry or yangmei, is a fruiting evergreen tree from the misty mountains of East Asia, revered for centuries across China and Japan for tangy-sweet berries and an elegant, shapely form. Imagine cherries and cranberries with a botanical lovechild that had the moodiness of a plum and the antioxidant punch of a superfruit, and something close to yangmei would be the result. The current stock is female, tissue-cultured clones of a named selection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe selection offered is 'Wuzi', either a newly chosen form from the famed Dongkui-growing region or a hybrid of Dongkui and Biqi. The name Wuzi translates as dark purple, a nod to the richly pigmented fruit, which runs darker and tastier than Dongkui if a touch smaller, and in the native region ripens about five days earlier, an early-season treat prized for both flavor and beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYangmei has always held a special place at Woodlanders. A beautiful mature specimen has grown in Aiken for years, quietly admired for evergreen grace and seasonal magic, but more than two decades have passed since the nursery could last offer this elusive gem to customers. Thanks to the meticulous work of a new partner, the Plant Propagator behind yangmei.us and a leading voice for yangmei cultivation in the United States, Woodlanders is proud to reintroduce this rare species to American gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reward is a shapely evergreen of shimmering, softly lanceolate leaves and, on a pollinated female, clusters of bumpy, jewel-like fruit in deep crimson to purple-black, sweet-tart and faintly resinous, rich in the anthocyanins that make yangmei a celebrated functional food in East Asia. A word for the determined gardener: yangmei is not for the faint of heart, slow to establish and sensitive to transplant, yet remarkably resilient once settled, and needing a male plant nearby for the females to fruit. Those who commit are rewarded with a plant that bridges the ornamental and the edible. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/woodlanders.net\/blogs\/the-node\/myrica-rubra-yangmei-the-fruit-that-won-t-wait\"\u003eRead this plant's full story here.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"1 Gallon","offer_id":44014729724019,"sku":"MYRI-RUBR-01G","price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2 Gallon","offer_id":44014729756787,"sku":"MYRI-RUBR-03G","price":115.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/MyricarubraWoodlanders1.jpg?v=1753824919"}],"url":"https:\/\/woodlanders.net\/collections\/myrica.oembed","provider":"Woodlanders","version":"1.0","type":"link"}