![]() inodora) is native to the Panhandle counties There is a dwarf wax myrtle variety that only grows to about six feet tall that is sometimes separated out as a different species ( M. caroliniensis), which is native to the Panhandle region of Florida and some other central peninsular counties in north and central Florida. This shrub is similar to southern bayberry ( M. Because of this resin, this plant is highly flammable. Each fruit has an aromatic, waxy coating. Flowers bloom in late winter and pollinated female flowers develop to become blue-gray fruits (drupes) in late summer to fall, with persistence through winter. Flowers are fragrant but are not showy, but the flowers on male plants, dull yellow catkins about 1” long, are easily seen. Leaves, particularly the new growth, emit the distinctive bayberry fragrance when crushed. The glossy leaves are 3-5” long and are dotted with tiny yellow resin glands. Like many members of the myrtle family Myricaceae, both the leaves and the fruit are aromatic. Of course, at least one male plant is needed in the neighborhood to facilitate pollination of the female flowers. Female plants are preferred in the landscape because they produce the fruit to feed the birds, particularly migrating birds during the winter. This species is dioecious (male and female flowers borne in catkins on separate plants). Species epithet " cerifera" means wax-bearing. It's native to all of Florida, even The Keys, and naturally occurs in a variety of habitats including edges of wetlands, river margins, sand dunes, pine barrens, hillsides, and upland forests. Wax myrtle ( Morella cerifera formerly Myrica cerifera) is an easy-to-grow evergreen shrub or small tree that typically grows to 10-15’ tall and 8-10’ wide, but sometimes it grows to 20’ tall or more. ![]() Load of berries that feed the winter birds.
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