Sweet-gale

Myrica gale

Found in peaty bogs and fens. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

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

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Height: About 6 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Moist to wet

Myrica gale — foliage photograph — Photographer and uploader was Hajotthu at de.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original photograph

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: August to September

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Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 1 Virginia county.

Habitats

Mountain bogs and fens.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 73 animals.

Alder Flycatcher
Empidonax alnorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Pipit
Anthus rubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canada Warbler
Wilsonia canadensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Dendroica pensylvanica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

77CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Myrica

Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Acleris minutaLesser Apple Leaf Folder, Yellowheaded Fireworm
Acleris pulverosana"North American" Hasty Acleris
Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Autographa amplaLarge Looper Moth, Broken-Banded Y, Climbing Looper
Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper

Show all 77

Bucculatrix montanaMountain Bucculatrix
Caloptilia stigmatellaPoplar Caloptilia
Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
Catocala antinymphaWayward Nymph, Sweetfern Underwing
Catocala consorsThe Consort
Catocala mulierculaThe Little Wife, Little Wife Underwing
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
Eurois occultaGreat Grey Dart, Great Brocade
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
Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
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 appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
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
Rheumaptera hastataSpear-Marked Black Moth, Spear Mark
Rheumaptera subhastataWhite-Banded Black Moth
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
Xestia normanianusNorman's Dart
Xylena nuperaRed Swordgrass Moth, American Swordgrass Moth, False Armyworm
Acleris kearfottana
Acleris maccana
Ancylis subaequana
Aroga argutiola
Cenopis karacana
Dichomeris bipunctellus
Olethreutes sericoranum
Olethreutes valdanum
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

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey

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
Flower color: Blue
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Gray-green
Fruit begins: August
Fruit ends: September

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Blue” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Gray-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 6 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
primary_flower_color · “blue” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Gale palustris; Sweet gale

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S1
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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