Morella pumila

Morella pumila is the dwarf waxmyrtle, a low, native evergreen that keeps everything gardeners love about the common wax myrtle, aromatic foliage, waxy berries, and a tough constitution, and shrinks it all to knee height. Native to the frequently burned pinelands of the southern United States, the plant is an adaptation to that fiery world, staying small and spreading slowly into dense patches and colonies by underground runners.

The small leaves are aromatic, releasing the clean, resinous bayberry scent when brushed or crushed, and on female plants small, dark, waxy berries ripen along the stems, the same wax that scents a bayberry candle and a welcome winter food for birds. The plant belongs to the bayberry family, Myricaceae, and like the rest of the clan fixes nitrogen from the air, thriving in the lean, sandy, acid soils that starve other shrubs. Once listed as Myrica pusilla or Myrica cerifera pumila, the dwarf is now placed in the genus Morella.

Woodlanders may have been among the first nurseries to offer this useful little native to gardeners, and it deserves the wider audience. As a low, evergreen, colony-forming groundcover, dwarf waxmyrtle covers dry, sunny banks, binds sandy soil against erosion, and knits together the front of a native or coastal planting, all with the salt tolerance and toughness of the family. Deer leave the aromatic foliage alone.

Give dwarf waxmyrtle a sunny, well-drained, sandy or acid spot and let the plant spread into a soft evergreen mat one to two feet high. Little care is needed once established, since heat, drought, poor soil, and salt are all taken in stride. Pair with wiregrass, muhly, and other pineland natives for a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly groundcover, and shear if a tidier edge is wanted. Additional photos courtesy of Will Cook.