Wax Myrtle Shrub

November 08, 2024 Post a Comment

Wax myrtle shrub

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 does wax myrtles 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.

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 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.

Do wax myrtles 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).

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.

Can you cut back a wax myrtle?

Wax myrtle is very forgiving of pruning, and we saw several different suggestions when we searched on the Internet. If you do it right away, before new growth starts to show up, you can prune them now, don't wait until it starts to get hot.

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.

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 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.

What is the number one plant to repel mosquitoes?

Citronella Grass (Lemon Grass) Known for its distinct smell, citronella grass (or lemon grass) is the most commonly used natural ingredient in mosquito repellants. In fact, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recommends lemon-scented plants such as citronella grass to keep mosquitoes at bay.

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.

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.

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

The natural shape of the southern wax myrtle is a large rounded shrub or multi-trunk tree they can

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.

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.

Do wax myrtles smell?

The wax myrtle belongs to the wax myrtle family (Myricaceae), and is characterized by the aromatic glands found on the surfaces of its leaves. These glands release a sweet odor when crushed.

Does wax myrtle have a scent?

A wispy, 6-12 ft., multi-trunked, evergreen shrub, southern bayberry or wax myrtle can reach 20 ft. in height. The light olive-green foliage has a spicy fragrance.

Can you keep a wax myrtle small?

It is possible to prune wax myrtles into small single- or multi-stemmed tree forms. Perform the majority of wax myrtle pruning in late winter before new growth emerges to encourage rapid recovery.

What time of year do you plant wax myrtle?

Plants should be planted into their permanent positions in the late spring or early summer. In exposed situations, the wax myrtle forms a little more than a bushy arborescent shrub but in protected areas it becomes a medium sized tree, much branched and densely leafy, with a gray warty unfissured bark (Howell 1949).