Myrica pensylvanica- Northern Bayberry
Description
General: A native, deciduous to semi-evergreen, upright, rounded and dense shrub that suckers to produce a colony. Grows 5 to 12′ in height with similar spread
Leaves: Alternate, simple and obovate growing 1 to 4″ long. Leaves are leathery and a lustrous green spring through fall.
Flower: Males and females have inconspicuous catkins late March to April before the leaves appear.
Fruit: A grayish white, aromatic waxy drupe from September through April of the following year. Used to make bayberry candles, soap and wax.
Attributes: Good shrub for massing, borders, or sites with poor soils due to salt tolerance. Pairs well with evergreens.
Culture
Hardiness: Zones 3-6.
Growing Conditions: Adaptable. Thrives in poor, sandy soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates high winds and salt spray.
Maintenance: No serious disease or insect issues.
Transplanting: Transplants easily as a container plant or balled and burlapped due to adaptability.
Our Experience
Experience at Great Hill
We have a small suckering hedge of bayberry growing up the main driveway to Great Hill. Its adaptable nature and low maintanence make it a perfect shrub for this area. Bayberry is very unique in habit. Its scent coupled with the appearance of its leaves and berries make for an interesting addition to the landscape.