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Common Waxmyrtle

Morella cerifera

Found in Coastal dunes and beaches; salt and brackish marshes. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

72
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
20–25 feet
Spread
8–10 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 9 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen
Bloom
April
Fruiting season
August to October

Recorded in 51 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

Salt and brackish marshes

Coastal marshes flooded by salty or brackish tides.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 215 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

58CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Myrica

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Caloptilia stigmatellaPoplar Caloptilia
  • Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
  • Catocala consorsThe Consort
  • Catocala mulierculaThe Little Wife, Little Wife Underwing
Show all 58
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Cleora projectaProjecta Gray
  • Coelodasys apicalisPlain Schizura
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Cyclophora pendulinariaSweetfern Geometer
  • Episimus tyriusMaple Tip Borer
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Eupsilia morrisoniMorrison's Sallow
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Hellinsia balanotesBaccharis Borer Plume Moth, Groundsel Plume Moth
  • Hypomecis buchholzariaX
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Leptostales rubromarginariaDark-Ribboned Wave
  • Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Nemoria bistriariaTwo-Striped Emerald, Red-Fringed Emerald
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Nemoria rubrifrontariaRed-Fronted Emerald
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
  • Pero zalissariaCoastal Pero
  • Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Protolampra brunneicollisBrown-Collared Dart
  • Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Strepsicrates smithianaBayberry Leaftier
  • Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Utetheisa ornatrixOrnate Moth, Pink Underwing, Rattlebox Moth, Bella Moth
  • Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
  • Xestia dilucidaDull Reddish Dart, Reddish Heath Dart
  • Aroga argutiola
  • Cenopis karacana
  • Dichomeris bipunctellus
  • Stigmella myricafoliella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Myrica

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
18BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Morella

  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Quiscalus majorBoat-tailed Grackle
  • Sphyrapicus ruberRed-breasted Sapsucker
Show all 18
  • Tachycineta bicolorTree Swallow
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
  • Vireo gilvusWarbling Vireo
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo philadelphicusPhiladelphia Vireo
  • Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Myricaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Myrica cerifera; sweet gale; sweet-gale

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources