Wax Myrtle Trees

November 09, 2024 Post a Comment

Wax myrtle trees

Fast growth rate. From 3 to 5 feet of growth per year, the Wax Myrtle is one of the fastest-growing privacy hedges.

How big do wax myrtle trees get?

This rapidly-growing, small, evergreen native tree is capable of reaching a height of 25 feet with an equal spread but is usually seen in the 10 to 20-foot range. Sometimes used as a large shrubbery screen, Southern Waxmyrtle is ideal for use as a small tree, the lower limbs removed to reveal its picturesque form.

Do wax myrtles repel mosquitoes?

First, Wax Myrtle. The plant has a little pungent odor when the leaves are rubbed. It's a native, so that makes it really inexpensive as mosquito control for the area, Gaskins said. The plant can be used as a hedge for front or backyards, and it works really well in pots.

Is wax myrtle a tree or bush?

Wax Myrtle is an evergreen tree that may grow 20 to 25 feet tall, but usually is much shorter. The light olive green leaves are alternate with a toothed margin, a spicy aromatic odor when crushed, and yellow resin dots on both surfaces. The bark is thin, smooth, and gray-brown, almost white.

Does wax myrtle have invasive roots?

The USDA factsheet on wax myrtle says that this plant is easy to transplant bare root which suggests that it is not have much of a taproot (if any). Also wax myrtle spreads by sending up suckers from the roots and has been frequently used as a bonsai plant (more evidence that it has a fibrous root system).

Will wax myrtles survive a freeze?

Evergreens and more frost-resistant trees and shrubs should fare better. Common examples of this group of plants are yaupon hollies, wax myrtles, and crape myrtles. These species may brown in sections, but ultimately survive.

Do wax myrtle attract bees?

Myrica cerifera Birds such as wild turkey, quail, waterfowl, catbirds, bluebirds and warblers are attracted to the pale blue berries that the female plants grow in the fall and maintain throughout the winter. Butterflies and bees will also flock to tree, but because of its aromatic foliage, it will repel insects.

Do birds eat wax myrtle berries?

Gray catbirds and white-eyed vireos are also known to feed on wax myrtle berries. Apparently not all birds can digest the waxy coating. Another winter visitor that sometimes depends on wax myrtle berries, along with holly and other winter fruit, is the tree swallow.

What does wax myrtle smell like?

Fast-growing, Morella cerifera (Southern Wax Myrtle) is a densely bushy, evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy, aromatic, oblanceolate, olive green leaves, 3-5 in. long (7-12 cm). The foliage emits a bayberry candle fragrance when crushed.

What is the lifespan of a wax myrtle?

Southern Wax Myrtle will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

Do wax myrtles spread?

To produce an unbroken hedge, your wax myrtles must be no farther apart than their eventual spread, usually about 20 or 25 feet. If each plant reaches 20 feet, and therefore spreads to 10 feet on each side, then two hedges will eventually meet in the middle of a 20-foot spacing.

What is wax myrtle good for?

Species Significance Since colonial times, wax myrtle foliage has been used ornamentally, and the waxy coating on the fruits has been used to make candles and scented soaps. Fresh and dried leaves are used as flavorings, and leaves are also grated or moistened seeds are used as condiments.

Is wax myrtle poisonous to dogs?

If your dog ingests any amount of the wax leaf, it needs to be treated as a medical emergency. The wax leaf plant is a popular plant used in hedges and as an ornamental. If your dog ingests a piece of this plant, it can lead to symptoms of toxicity.

What is the difference between a wax myrtle and a southern wax myrtle?

But in our Oklahoma. Landscapes. They usually end up about 10 to 15 feet high by 10 to 15 feet wide.

What animals eat wax myrtle?

Wildlife seeks shelter in myrtle's thickly-packed branches and dark-green foliage. Clusters of tiny blue-silvery berries (drupes) that form along the branches are a favored source of food for many birds including wild turkeys, quails, tree swallows, bluebirds, thrashers and waterfowl.

Do wax myrtles need a lot of water?

Southern wax myrtle tolerates moist and dry soils, but grows best when watered around the drip line every 10 to 14 days; however, don't water your tree around the trunk.

What kills wax myrtle?

Triclopyr-based herbicides cause supressed or abnormal growth that disrupts and eventually kills the crape myrtle. The herbicide may be applied to the foliage, the roots, or both. As with other broadleaf herbicides, crape myrtle trees absorb the poison and circulate it, causing the tree to die.

How do you maintain wax myrtle?

Plant wax myrtle in a full sun to part sun area where roots will not be disturbed. This plant is salt tolerant and takes sea spray well, making it an exceptional beach front planting. The wax myrtle is adaptable to a range of soils but prefers the soil to be moist.

Do hummingbirds like myrtle?

Hummingbirds like to feed from flowering shrubs that include azaleas, rhododendron, crape myrtle, weigela, rose of Sharon and butterfly bush.

What grows well with wax myrtle?

Companion plants include weeping, yaupon and Schelling's holly; all forms of Ilex vomitoria; coontie, Zamia plumila; Simpson's stopper, Myrcianthes fragrans; beautyberry, Callicarpa americana; saw palmetto, Serenoa repens; and a host of wildflowers.