Myrica gale
Sweetgale
General
This is a small, fragrant shrub that does very well in wet areas. Crushed leaves produce a sweet smell. It is attractive to birds and other wildlife. This species fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere that can be used by nearby species.
Plant Description
Small, deciduous shrub with grey to reddish brown bark, spotted with lenticels. Leaves are wedge-shaped, with rounded and toothed tips. Catkin male flowers and cone-like female flowers are on separate plants. The genus name Myrica is from the Greek word myrike meaning fragrance.
Height (ft)
2-4
Soil moisture
Can withstand flooding. Often found on the edge of lakeshores and streambanks.
Soil types
Can grow in coarse to fine mineral soils and organic soils
Wetland indicator
OBL
Shade tolerance
Tolerant, Full Sun to Full Shade
Bloom color
Blue, Inconspicuous
Bloom period
Spring
Fall conspicuous
No
Anaerobic tolerance
Medium
Drought tolerance
Medium
Salinity tolerance
None
Self-Pollinated?
No
Range
Northeast and Northcentral United States, Pacific Northwest, and disjunct in North Carolina.
Kartesz, J.T. 2024. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP) [website http://bonap.org/]
Additional Information
According to BRIT - Native American Ethnobotany Database, the seeds can be boiled to make a yellow dye. The plant was also used to line blueberry containers when picking so that the berries don't go bad. A decoction of the pounded branches has been used as a diuretic.