Pacific Waxmyrtle California Waxmyrtle California Bayberry

You have seen Pacific waxmyrtle in coastal gardens and wet lowlands from Washington south to California, especially near waterfront and estuarine zones. The evergreen shrub carries distinctive narrow, glossy dark green leaves dotted with glands; in early summer small yellow male and female catkins appear, followed by clusters of small waxy blue-black drupes that birds eagerly harvest through fall

Pacific waxmyrtle tolerates anaerobic (waterlogged) soils and salt spray, making it unusually valuable for wetland margins and coastal applications. It needs full sun, moderate water, and slightly acidic to neutral soil; once established, it accepts drought and develops naturally without heavy-handed pruning. The nitrogen-fixing nodules in its roots improve poor soils over time.