Wax Myrtle

Name: Wax Myrtle

Scientific Name: Morella cerifera

Info: Also known as southern bayberry, this small shrub can grow up to 10 feet tall.  Used as an early insect repellant this plant offers protection against mosquitoes and other insects.  The small purple-ish gray berries can be boiled, releasing wax that the native americans would then make candles with.  The dense formation of its leaves, which are wavy and fee like paper, make it an excellent nesting habitat for song birds.

Sightings: Golf Courses, Walker's Landing, Drummond Point Park