Various birds eat the berries in small quantities. The wax may be extracted from the fruit and made into candles and soap however, this species produces much less wax than other bayberries, and so is rarely used for this purpose. The plant tissues are also high in tannins. The most active chemical is apparently the glycoside myricinic acid, which is related to saponin. The bark and leaves have historically been used on occasion for gastrointestinal ailments. It grows well on cool, moist coastlines and can be planted in lines as a seaside windbreak. The Wax Myrtle is an evergreen shrub which provides nesting and cover for wildlife in the winter when other foliage has thinned. This species has root nodules containing nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, allowing it to grow in relatively poor soils. The fruit is a wrinkled purple berry 4–6.5 mm diameter, with a waxy coating, hence the common name wax myrtle. The flower's inflorescence is arranged in a spike 0.6–3 cm long, in range of colors from green to red. It grows to 2–10 m tall, and has serrated, sticky green leaves 4–13 cm long and 0.7–3 cm broad, which emit a spicy scent on warm days. Wax Myrtle will put up with moist or dry soil and even grows well in infertile soils, but youll get a truly crowning specimen with a bit of proper watering. & Schltdl.) Wilbur) is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Pacific Ocean coast of North America from Vancouver Island south to California as far south as the Long Beach area. Pacific Wax Myrtle is an evergreen shrub or tree to 15 feet, and is native to the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. & Schltdl.) Greene, Morella californica (Cham. Myrica californica ( California bayberry, California wax myrtle or Pacific wax myrtle syn.
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