Tree-formed Wax Myrtle. Note the extensive sucker growth around the base that must be trimmed back each year. |
Wax Myrtle is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants. They flower in the spring with multiple catkins along the stems at the base of the leaves. If males and females are close enough together for pollination to occur, the female plants develop waxy blue-gray berries in the fall. Those berries were prized by early settlers; the berries were boiled and the wax skimmed to create sweet-smelling candles. (Want to try it yourself? Get a great walk-through here.)
Wax Myrtle is a great choice in a wildlife garden. The waxy berries are popular with songbirds, and the thick foliage provides shelter for many creatures. The leaves are also a host plant for multiple species of moths and several hairstreak butterflies. Here at MOSI Outside, we regularly use wax myrtle for Polyphemus Moth rearing, and have multiple specimens of this shrub growing around the property.
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