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Form

Southern Wax Myrtle, Bayberry, Southern Bayberry, Candleberry, Wax Myrtle, Tallow Shrub
Myrica cerifera

Myricaceae

Southern wax myrtle inhabits sandy swamps and moist woodlands in east and east-central Texas. It is a large shrub or small tree, often multi-trunked, with gray-green aromatic foliage and clusters of blue-gray fruits on female plants. Wax myrtle makes an effective and attractive tall screen or specimen tree. It prefers moist, acid soils but is adaptable to other conditions, including wet sites with poor drainage. It is evergreen in USDA Zone 8, semi-evergreen in Zone 7.

Plant Habit or Use: shrub small tree

Exposure: sun partial sun

Flower Color: Yellowish-green, not ornamental

Blooming Period: spring

Fruit Characteristics: waxy, gray-blue globose fruit massed in clusters

Height: to 20 ft

Width: 10 to 15 ft.

Plant Character: evergreen semievergreen

Heat Tolerance: medium

Water Requirements: medium low

Soil Requirements: acid adaptable

USDA Hardiness Zone: 7

Additional Comments:



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