A dense, rounded shrub, Northern Bayberry is both sand and salt tolerant yet highly adaptable to other soil conditions, making it a great choice for most landscapes.
A key feature is its waxy berries, which are used in candlemaking and emit a lovely scent, which can be enjoyed under a balcony above the sea or in a garden setting. The leaves likewise are aromatic when crushed and can be used as a substitute for bay leaf.
Birds eat its fruits, and it is a larval host for the Columbia Silkmoth.
Northern Bayberry thrives in dry, sunny spots, although it tolerates periodic flooding and can be used in wetlands or at the edges of ponds. Once established it tolerates drought. In short, this shrub works in just about any sunny spot, even in heavy winds.
It also responds well to pruning and makes a great hedge. :)
Bayberry, Northern
- Latin: Myrica pensylvanica
- Pollinator value: Low
- Wetland status: FAC
- Height: 2-6 feet; 3-10-foot spread
- Light: Full sun to light shade
- Soil: medium to dry
- Bloom: Yellowish-green catkins, spring
- Fruit: Tiny, grayish-white fruits in late summer into winter; females produce the fruits
- Foliage: Semi-evergreen
- Landscape: Coastal dunes, gardens, dry sunny spots, wetlands and near ponds and streams.
- Resistance: Deer, wet soils, sand, salt
- More information and native range here