Stop 7: Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)

Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible

Common Name: Wax Myrtle 

Scientific Name: Morella cerifera 

Family Name: Myricaceae 

Duration: Perennial 

Size: 6-40 feet tall, but normally no higher than 12 feet 

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate 

Blooming Months: Spring 

Distribution: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TX, VA, WV 

General Description 

The wax myrtle, Morella cerifera, is a nitrogen-fixing evergreen shrub and can reach upwards of 40 feet in height but usually only grows up to 12 feet. The leaves of this plant have a “spicy,” pine or conifer like fragrance, and bloom periods occur in late winter and through the spring. This plant is dioecious, which means that the male and female reproductive parts of the flowers are on different plants. 

Park Wildlife Ecology/Connections 

In the winter months, wax myrtle seeds are a very important food source for wildlife. Morella cerifera is also an excellent source of honey. The berries of this shrub are eaten by many birds, and the vegetation serves as a larval host to the Red-banded Hairstreak species of butterflies. The larvae of these butterflies have been found on the fallen leaves and detritus of the wax myrtle plant to feed. 

North American Ethnobotany 

The Choctaw, Houma, Koasati, Micmac, and Seminole people have been cited in their uses of wax myrtle for both medicinal and more general practices. The plant, including its leaves, roots, and stems, was used as a treatment for: fevers, inflamed tonsils, parasitic worms, stomachaches, headaches, and generalized inflammation. More specifically, the Houma people utilized the berries by boiling them and extracting the wax to make candles. The Micmac people used the berries, bark and leaves as an exhilarant and as a beverage. The Seminole people would decoct the wood’s ashes and place them on the tongue in order to cleanse the body and strengthen their marriage. They also used wax myrtle as a substitute for tobacco and to make lye.