Myrica cerifera var. pumila (Myrica pusilla)

Dwarf wax myrtle has become a mainstay in many Texas landscapes, valued for its aromatic, soft, evergreen foliage, 5- to 6-foot height and spread, and adaptability to full sun or bright shade and a variety of soils, ranging from boggy to very dry. Its native habitat features moist or dry sandy pine hardwoods in East Texas, east to Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, and north to Arkansas and Delaware. It is very similar to Myrica cerifera, southern wax myrtle, and is considered by some botanists to be merely a dwarf variety of it. Dwarf wax myrtle has a horizontal, stoloniferous rootstalk and produces thickets or colonies so it would be helpful for erosion control. In a landscape, this suckering will produce ever thicker, fuller, denser growth or may be curtailed by pruning or mowing.

Resinous dots heavily coat both leaf surfaces, which are dark green above and brownish or olive beneath, giving a two-toned or glossy olive-green appearance, contrasting nicely with dark green plants. The fine-textured wispy foliage makes an excellent pruned hedge, or the plant may be limbed to make an attractive specimen. New spring growth produces a bayberry scent, evident on bruised leaves throughout the year. Dwarf wax myrtle is sensitive to cold or below-freezing winds, which may defoliate or cause severely browned leaves. The brittle branches are also subject to splitting or breaking under ice or snow loads but tolerate salt spray. It is a dioecious plant with profuse silvery blue-grey berries on the female plants and also has nitrogen-fixing bacteria on root nodules.

There are several named varieties of dwarf wax myrtle, which vary by height, leaf size, and color. Deer, do not browse it.

Height: 3'-6'
Spread 3'-6'
Bloom: February-March
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Medium, High
Zone: 7, 8, 9, 10
Origin: North America, Central America, Caribbean