SKU: SM00490

Morella pensylvanica - Northern Bayberry is a semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub. The leaves are highly aromatic when crushed. The female of the species produces waxy berries eaten by birds and used to make bayberry candles. Tolerant of salt and grows well along seashore and roadsides. Does well in dry, infertile conditions. Plants are dioecious, meaning that the plant is either male or female but not both. We do not separate our 'genders' of this plant, because we feel it leads to stress and depression (particularly in the person who is going from plant to plant with a hand lens in May.) Please specify in a separate e-mail if you must have one or the other and we will try to accommodate.

Height: 4-6'
Spread: 4-6'
Zone: 3-7
Soil type: Prefers peaty or sandy, infertile soils. Tolerates wide range
Soil pH: Prefers acidic, tolerates neutral
Light: Full sun to part-shade
Moisture: Dry to medium wet
Flowers: Small, not showy, yellowish-green in May
Fruit: White-Gray waxy berries in late summer, may persist through winter
Fall color: None, leaves turn bronze and drop through winter

Wildlife value: Songbirds eat berries
Notes of Interest: Great plant for difficult sites and poor soil. Great for roadside plantings because of salt tolerance. Great plant for shrub borders, winter interest, and soil stabilization.