Other Names:  Southern Bayberry

Brand:  Plant Delights Nursery

Description:

Select a male and female plant to produce the ornamental waxy-blue berries, that are a high energy food source for birds; tolerant of wet or dry, infertile soil; aromatic yellow-gold foliage provides great contrast; a great hedge or screen

Ornamental Features

Pat's Gold Southern Wax Myrtle is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent blue berries from mid summer to mid fall. It has attractive gold-variegated grayish green foliage with hints of chartreuse which emerges yellow in spring. The small fragrant narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. It features subtle chartreuse catkins along the branches from late winter to early spring.

Landscape Attributes

Pat's Gold Southern Wax Myrtle is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Pat's Gold Southern Wax Myrtle is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Topiary
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Pat's Gold Southern Wax Myrtle will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years. This is a dioecious species, meaning that individual plants are either male or female. Only the females will produce fruit, and a male variety of the same species is required nearby as a pollinator.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.