 Photo Courtesy of K. Hubeny |
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| Common Name(s) | Northern Bayberry | ||||
| Scientific Name | Myrica pensylvanica | ||||
| Family | Myricaceae | ||||
| Location/Vegetative Zone | Thicket (Bike Path) | ||||
| Flowering Period | May | ||||
| Identifying Characteristics | Grows up to 10 feet in height | ||||
Description
- Leaves
- Egg-shaped and thin
- Resin-dots on leaves, but sometimes nonexistent on the hairy upper surface
- 5 inches in length
- Produces a wrinkled berry 3-5.5 mm diameter
- Pale, blue-purple waxy coating
Location
Cultural Uses
- Berries
- American colonists made bayberry wax candles by boiling them to extract the sweet-smelling wax
- Leaves
- Bayberry essential oil extracted and is used to scent many products, but is also mildly toxic
- Green dye
Sources
“Medicinal Herbs: Northern Bayberry”. Natural Medicinal Herbs. Spiritual Knowledge, Led Ziarovsky. Web.
“Myrica pennsylvanica – Loisel”. Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future. Web.
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