Plant your Wax Myrtles 5 to 6 feet apart for a nice tight linear hedge. Keep them at least 5 feet from your property line to allow space for growth. Plant in full to partial sun. Wax Myrtles happily grow in any soil.
Is wax myrtle fast growing?
Wax myrtle often exhibits growth of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) a year. As a shrub it has a rounded, narrow form and is attractive when limbed up for use as a small tree.
How tall does a wax myrtle get?
A wispy, 6-12 ft., multi-trunked, evergreen shrub, southern bayberry or wax myrtle can reach 20 ft. in height. The light olive-green foliage has a spicy fragrance. Pale blue berries occur on female plants in the winter.
Do wax myrtles repel mosquitoes?
Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera or Myrica cerifera) is native to the American southeast where residents traditionally planted it as an insect repellent. The presence of wax myrtle shrubs repel many types of insects and rubbing skin with the crushed leaves keeps mosquitoes away.
How long does a wax myrtle live?
The wax myrtle lifespan is about 30 years, advises Calloway’s Nursery.
What grows well with wax myrtle?
In fact, it’s a great companion plant for the smaller shrub nandina, because the two like similar growing conditions. The plant has unlimited uses. You can use wax myrtle as an informal hedge to screen out noise and unwanted views, or as a green backdrop for a garden of blooming perennials.
Are wax myrtles cold hardy?
The Waxmyrtle is winter hardy to USDA Zones 7-10 where it is easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade.
What causes brown leaves on wax myrtles?
Poor Water Management
Inadequate watering can cause southern wax myrtle foliage to wilt, turn brown and drop from the plant. Too much water can also be a problem because it can lead to slowed growth, dieback and root rot that causes the foliage to discolor and die.
What kills wax myrtle?
Glyphosate. Glyphosate kills virtually any plant it touches. Herbicides containing glyphosate may be painted on freshly cut stumps or sprayed onto the foliage to kill the crape myrtle.
How tall is a 3 gallon wax myrtle?
Growing in an irregular form to 10-15 feet tall and wide, the Southern Wax Myrtle is an ideal selection for use in the landscape in groupings or as a natural or clipped formal evergreen hedge, privacy screen or background planting.
Can you cut back a wax myrtle?
It is a fairly wispy open plant, so it shouldn’t be casting too much shade on your neighbor’s grass, but in the interest of good neighborhood relations, you can certainly prune it back to 8 to 10 feet. Wax myrtle is very forgiving of pruning, and we saw several different suggestions when we searched on the Internet.
How tall is a 7 gallon wax myrtle?
Reaches 15-25 feet tall, 12-15 feet wide at mature size. Full sun exposure.
What is the difference between a wax myrtle and a Southern wax myrtle?
Southern waxmyrtle has multiple, twisted trunks with smooth, light gray bark. Wax myrtle is aromatic with olive green leaves and clusters of grey-blue, waxy berries on female plants which attract wildlife.
How do you train a wax myrtle into a tree?
Place a plant stake 6 inches away from the young wax myrtle and use a mallet to pound it into the soil. Use strips of soft fabric or commercial plant ties to tie the tree to the stake. Begin at the bottom and place a tie every 1 foot up the tree until you reach the canopy. Older plants typically don’t require staking.
What is the difference between a wax myrtle and a crepe myrtle?
While wax myrtles do best in full sun and partial shade, crepe myrtles need full sun locations for optimum flowering. Wax myrtles are tolerant of sandy soils, salt spray and drought conditions, but they prefer slightly acidic soils and are sensitive to cold.
Are wax myrtles toxic?
It is listed as non-toxic to dogs on the ASPCA list and not listed on any of the other above poisonous plant databases or in the PollenLibrary.com database. It needs shade or partial shade to grow, as well as moist soil. Morella cerifera (Wax myrtle) is an evergreen shrub that grow into a small tree.
Do wax myrtles lose their leaves?
Our Wax Myrtle bushes tend to lose all their foliage during the Winter months and each year seem to flesh out their leaves less with each passing Spring.
