Practical
Plants

Myrica gale

Bog Myrtle

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Myrica genus in the family Myricaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Myrica
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
2 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant is an abortifacient and so should not be eaten by pregnant women[16][7].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The aromatic fruits and leaves are used either fresh or dried to flavour soups, stews etc[10][16][21][2][8]. They are sometimes put in beer and ale to improve the flavour and increase foaming[8]. The fruit is about 3mm in diameter with a single large seed[11]. The dried leaves make a delicate and palatable tea[16][21][7][8].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are abortifacient, aromatic, astringent, emmenagogue and stomachic[16][17][7][12]. The leaves are normally used as a tea, but they do contain a poisonous aromatic oil, so some caution is advised in their use[16].

Product or use
Abortifacient
Product or use
Aromatic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A wax covering on the fruit and leaves is extracted by scalding the fruit with boiling water and immersing them for a few minutes, the wax floats to the surface and is then skimmed off. The fruit is then boiled in water to extract the wax from the pulp and once more the wax is skimmed off. It is then strained through a muslin cloth and can be used to make aromatic candles[16][20][13]. These candles diffuse a delightful odour when burnt[13]. Unfortunately this species does not produce enough wax to make it commercially viable[5]. A yellow dye is obtained from the stem tips[22][5][7]. Brown according to another report[14]. A yellow dye is obtained from the seeds[14]. The bark contains tannin and can be gathered in the autumn and used as a yellow dye[16]. The plant repels moths and insects in general[22][3][5]. The fragrant leaves are used[16][2]. A strong decoction of the leaves can be used as a parasiticide to kill external body parasites[7]. A fragrant essential oil is obtained from the fruits[5].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Essential
Product or use
Parasiticide
Product or use
Repellent
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wax

Environment

Range
Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Portugal, east to N.W. Russia. N. America.
Habitat
Bogs, marshes, fens and wet heathland in acid soils but plants are occasionally found in calcareous fens[18][6][9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 1+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Barely cover the seed and keep it moist. Stored seed germinates more freely if given a 3 month cold stratification and then sown in a cold frame. Germination is usually good[23]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in the cold frame for the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer[K]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up and overwinter in a cold frame. Fair to good percentage[23]. Cuttings of mature wood in November/December in a frame. Layering in spring[11]. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

There is some difference of opinion about the needs of this plant. Most reports say that it prefers a moist soil and that it grows well in an open position in a well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Most reports also say that it prefers or even requires a lime-free loamy or peaty soil[1][11] but another report says that it succeeds in any ordinary garden soil[4]. In the wild it is usually found in soils with a pH between 3.5 and 6, but it is also sometimes found in fens with a pH as high as 7.5[9]. A suckering shrub, when well sited it can form thickets[9]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[11].This habit also allows the plant to succeed in water-logged soils[9]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. This plant is occasionally monoecious and also can change sex from year to year[19]. Flowers are produced mainly on one-year old wood[16]. All parts of the plant are pleasantly aromatic[9]. A good food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[15]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩1↩2

  3. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  5. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  7. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Beckett. G. and K. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  12. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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  13. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  15. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

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  16. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  18. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

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  19. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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  20. Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-00-635555-2

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  21. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2

  22. Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-946284-51-2

    ↩1↩2

  23. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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