Re: Myrica californica
- Subject: Re: Myrica californica
- From: J* D*
- Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 10:53:38 -0700 (PDT)
It's likely to adore Wales. It's a large, dense
evergreen shrub with glossy narrow oblong leaves that
grows in moist spots along the coast. Flowers are
inconspicuous, fruits are clusters of grey-brown along
the stems. I believe it extends up into at least
Oregon, maybe all the way to British Columbia (?); it
should have no problem with your cold. The Bayberry,
of the northeast coast of the US, is Myrica
pennsylvanica, and produces the candle-scenting
fruits. Our M. californica does not have the same
pungence, but a scent can sometimes be detected in the
leaves. There's a Myrica faya native to the Canary
Islands which fixes nitrogen in the roots and has
become a pest in Hawaii. You might watch for weediness
in M. californica in your climate, as it prefers moist
areas here.
-Jason Dewees
San Francisco
USDA zone 10
--- Einionygarddwr@aol.com wrote:
> Medit-Plants has quite a number of members living in
> California, so I feel
> this is the best forum for this particular query.
> What could be more
> Mediterranean, & indeed Californian, than Myrica
> californica? I received
> seeds of it in the spring of last year: they
> germinated readily under glass,
> and there they stayed all last winter & right up
> until a couple of months
> ago. At that point I took pity on them - they were
> still tiny little things,
> less than 2" high, so I potted them up individually,
> & since then they have
> started growing away much better, & the leaves are
> now some 2" in length & a
> beautiful glossy green.
>
> I know absolutely nothing about this plant - I got
> the seeds simply because I
> liked the name! How big does it grow, what are the
> flowers & fruits like &,
> most importantly of all, am I likely to succeed with
> it outside here on the
> coast of North Wales, where the last winter's
> minimum of -7C compared to the
> previous 3 winters' average of -3C? Any tips &
> suggestions gratefully
> received.
>
> Einion Hughes,
> Rhyl,
> Denbighshire,
> Wales,
> UK.
> Zone 8, or thereabouts.
>
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