Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)

Size: 5-12′ tall/5-10′ wide.

Bloom: late March or early April

Produces: mid-late summer

Birds: tree swallow, eastern meadowlark, red bellied woodpecker and catbird

Also known as Candleberry, Bayberry is adaptable to a range of landscape conditions including poor, sterile, sandy soils and heavy clay soils. The leaves can be up to 4 inches long and possibly an inch wide. The leaf color is a lustrous dark green. A unique quality of the leaf is that it is aromatic when brushed or crushed. Even the slightest contact with the plant produces the aroma which is rather pleasant. The leaves are retained well into the fall before dropping. The flowers on the plant are small and white or green in color. Flowering is in late March or early April before the new crop of leaves emerge. The berries are a preferred food of tree swallows, eastern meadowlarks, red bellied woodpeckers and gray catbirds to name a few. Bayberry shrubs also make good nest sites for songbirds.