FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Leaves very fragrant when crushed; resinous dots on both leaf surfaces. Leaves always less than 2.5 cm wide. Berries used for scents and candles.
Synonym(s): Cerothamnus ceriferus, Cerothamnus pumilus, Myrica cerifera, Myrica pusilla
Description: Evergreen large shrub or small tree to 7 m.
Leaves: Alternate, narrowly elliptic, oblanceolate leaves with a few shallow teeth from the middle of leaves toward leaf tips. Leaves always less than 2.5 cm wide, and have yellow resinous glands on both sides of leaves.
Flowers/Fruit: Male and female flowers on separate shrubs. Male shrubs produce catkins in spring and female shrubs have oval, white or gray waxy fruits. Blooms mainly in April; fruiting August to October.
Habit and Range: Low ground, pond edges, pine wetlands, swamps, brackish marshes, and other moist habitats. Chiefly in the Coastal Plain but common in the Piedmont.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
A similar species, Morella caroliniensis (southern bayberry) has larger, wider, tougher/thicker leaves and resinous dots on leaf undersides only, not both surfaces. Leaves are much less aromatic in Morella caroliniensis. M. cerifera (common wax myrtle) is the only Morella in the state reaching small tree height.
Click here to view Morella caroliniensis.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
