Scientific Name:
Myrica gale
Pronunciation:
MIR-i-ka GAY-lee
Common Name:
bog myrtle, sweet gale
Family Name:
Myricaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, oblanceolate, 2-5cm long x 1-1.5cm wide, margin toothed towards the apex; male and female catkins on separate plants appear before the leaves, Mar-Apr.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Canada - eastern, Europe, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Bog
Water Use:
Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Fragrance, Medicinal plant, Native planting, Reclamation, Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Spiraled
Texture/Venation:
Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Distinctive smell
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green, whitish underneath
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
Dotted above and below with bright yellow wax-glands, whitish underneath, fragrant when rubbed
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament), Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Green-yellow, Brown
Flower Scent:
Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Yellow, Green-yellow, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep
Additional Info:
Persistent
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Prominent lenticels
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
(Distinctive smell)
Organ Modifications:
Root nodules (N-fixing)
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
Root rot (Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
Location(s):
- (BCE) Boulevard (Circular) Eastend
- (BHE) Boulevard by Hwy. 10 Eastend
- (FSC) Far South Campus
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West
- (WLG) WoodLand Garden