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California Wax Myrtle
Morella californica
  
60 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About California Wax Myrtle (Morella californica) 60 Nurseries Carry This Plant California Wax Myrtle (Morella californica) is a native shrub in the Myracaceae (Myrtle) family that is found primarily along the coast in northern and central California, although it does occur as far south as Los Angeles County and as far north as British Columbia. It is moderately fast growing and long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 33 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the early summer. Leaves are lanceolate, dark green, and remain on the plant throughout the year. It tends to grow in dunes, hills and woodlands at elevations from sea level to 2,000 ft. This species makes an excellent small garden tree, especially in coastal gardens or inland if given slightly more moisture and afternoon shade.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
6 - 33 ft tall
20 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 23 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Hyles lineata Image
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata
*
Antheraea polyphemus Image
Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemusAntheraea polyphemus
*
Neoalcis californiaria Image
Brown-lined Looper Neoalcis californiariaNeoalcis californiaria
*
Schizura concinna Image
Red-Humped Caterpillar Schizura concinnaSchizura concinna
*
Clostera apicalis Image
Poplar Tent Caterpillar Moth Clostera apicalisClostera apicalis
*
Spilosoma virginica Image
Virginian Tiger Moth Spilosoma virginicaSpilosoma virginica
*
Archips argyrospila Image
Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 60

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 4.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with trees such as Firs (Abies sp.), Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Pines (Pinus sp.), and Spruce (Picea spl.), or with shrubs such as Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Ceanothus sp., coffeeberry (Frangula sp.), and coast silktassel (Garrya elliptica)

Maintenance
Maintenance
May be sheared to form a hedge or to create a more formal appearance.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: 2-3 mos. stratification.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5*, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dunes, coastal hills, inland foothills and valleys in conjunction with northern coastal prairie or scrub, woodland, or sometimes wetland/riparian communities

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 11.9" - 107.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 2.88", Coldest Month: 41.4" - 56.4", Hottest Month: 56.7" - 77.0", Humidity: 0.01" - 22.42", Elevation: 3" - 4145"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Myrica californica


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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