Bayberry is an upright-rounded, dense shrub with semi-evergreen, dark green, leathery leaves. It has small waxy, persistent blue-gray fruit, which add winter interest and attract many species of birds. It is a pleasantly aromatic large shrub. It is native along the coasts of the eastern United States.

How do you identify bayberry?

Look for clusters of tiny, waxy berries with a pale green, gray or pale blue color. Smell the berries, which give off a trademark “bayberry candle” scent. Crush and smell a leaf, as well, as they also emit a fragrance.

What is the difference between barberry and bayberry?

As nouns the difference between barberry and bayberry is that barberry is any of the thorny shrubs of genus berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries while bayberry is a plant in the genus myrica, a north american shrub with aromatic leather leaves and waxy berries.

Where does bayberry grow?

Bayberry is native to eastern North America and thrives along the rugged coastal areas of Maine. Hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 6, this shrub has a loose, open form and clusters of blue to gray berries that are covered with a pale waxy coating.

Are bayberry and wax myrtle the same thing?

Myrica cerifera is a small evergreen tree or large shrub native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. Its common names include southern wax myrtle, southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub.

Is bayberry the same as wax myrtle?

Wax myrtle can be confused with northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), a northern coastal shrub that is near its southern distribution range in Virginia. The waxy fruits of northern bayberry are also larger (5 to 6.5mm – 1/8 in) and the leaves are deciduous in the fall.

Why are barberry bushes illegal?

It’s already banned in New York, Maine, and Minnesota. That’s partly because the plant could be bad for human health as well. It provides a haven for ticks that carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.

Do bayberry bushes have thorns?

Barberry bushes are hardy deciduous plants commonly used in gardens or as foundation bushes due to their low maintenance requirements and adaptability. There are over 400 species of barberry plants. Many barberries have sharp thorns; however, some are without.

Do you need male and female bayberry?

The plants are dioecious, meaning there are both male and female plants. There must be a male in the vicinity to pollinate the female plants. Waxy, gray berries on a female bayberry plant.

Is bayberry an evergreen?

Bayberry is an upright-rounded, dense shrub with semi-evergreen, dark green, leathery leaves. It has small waxy, persistent blue-gray fruit, which add winter interest and attract many species of birds. It is a pleasantly aromatic large shrub.

What zone is bayberry?

Bayberry Myrica Hardy bayberry shrubs and trees thrive in USDA growing zones 3-9 and can withstand salty waterfronts or windy roofs.

Is bayberry in Florida?

Myrica cerifera is commonly found in hammocks, swamps, cypress domes, flatwoods, upland mixed forests, and fresh to slightly brackish marshes throughout Florida. Southern bayberry blooms from spring to fall (Wunderlin, 2003).

Where does Northern bayberry grow?

Growing northern bayberry is easiest in a location with full or partial sun. Bayberry plants are not pick at all about soil. They accept all types including clay or sandy soil, wet or dry soil, and acidic or alkaline soil.