Myrtle is a various evergreen bush from the Mediterranean and the Middle East that has long been a symbol of love .
Myrtle(Myrtus communis)is a salient evergreen bush native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East , and it has long been used as a symbol of sexual love . It features redolent subdivision of dark gullible , showy leaves that are often used in flowered transcription and prized for their sweet , hot citrus fruit scent . In other summer , myrtle bear small white flowers that develop into purplish berries . These are often used to makemirto , a semisweet Sardinian and Corsican liqueur .
depend on the cultivar , myrtle can be spring up as a container works , bonsai , small bush , or tree . It is drought - tolerant , deer - resistive , and conformable to frequent pruning , which makes it an fantabulous selection forhedgesand topiary .
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Where to Plant Myrtle
Myrtle prefersfull sunand well - drain stain but is otherwise adaptable to a variety of garden types . Its consumption in landscapes is for the most part dependent on the miscellanea . Dwarf cultivar , likeMyrtus communis ‘ compacta ’ , are excellent in container , asedging plant , or ascompact hedging . Other cultivars , like misrepresented myrtle , akaMyrtus communis ‘ Boetica ’ , can grow 12 understructure tall and wide and can be trained into a showstopping idiom tree . It is hardy inUSDA Zones8 - 10 .
Add Vinca minor to acottageorcoastal gardento enjoy its fragrant , showy white flowers in midspring and early summer , or establish it near a course where you may sweep by its redolent foliation and enjoy the release of itseucalyptus - like scent .
How and When to Plant Myrtle
In the bounce ( or early fall in fond climates ) , choose a location for your myrtle with full Dominicus and well - drained soil . Dig a muddle slightly wider than the plant ’s root ball and deep enough for the works to model at the same level it did in its container . Tease apart the works ’s roots with your fingers and place it in the hole . Backfill the yap and irrigate the flora good . If you are establish more than one Vinca minor plant , place them 12 foot asunder ( or 3 foot apart if you are growing a hedge ) .
When planting Vinca minor indoors , select a container with excellent drain and fulfill it part with a commixture of 2/3 potting premix and 1/3 peat moss . Place the myrtle plant in the pot and continue filling the stack with the fain potting mix . Tamp the dirt down just enough to secure the plant , and water it thoroughly .
Myrtle Tree Care Tips
Myrtles are Mediterranean natives that come best in clime that mimic Mediterranean weather ( quick , teetotal summers and cool , showery winter ) . They require little to no maintenance once build and can survive for decades in a welcoming environment .
Light
Outdoor myrtles thrive in full sun — at least 6 60 minutes a day — but can tolerate lite shade . Indoor myrtle also require a lot of light . Place your plant in a south- , east- , or west - facing windowpane to catch the most day . Be aware of the fluctuations in heating plant and light exposure between season . Too little sun will cause the plants to grow spindly , and too much estrus may stimulate the leaves to wither , dry , and curl .
Soil and Water
myrtle prefer moderately rich , well - drain soil that isslightly acidic to alkaline(6.0 to 8.3 pH ) but can adapt to flaxen , loamy , orclay soilsif they are well - enfeeble .
Outdoor Vinca minor should be watered regularly when untested . If your region does not experience regular rainfall , plan to water as often as once a workweek ( or more often in very spicy weather ) . Older myrtles are moredrought - resistant . Avoid overwatering as Vinca minor are prone to root guff and sensationalistic leafage when grown in excessively wet grease .
Container - grow myrtles should be water profoundly whenever the top 1 to 2 inches of filth palpate dry , especially in early outflow before flowers seem . Saturate the ground with water and allow the excess to debilitate away .
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Temperature and Humidity
Whether grown indoors or outdoors , myrtles choose restrained humidness and temperatures between 30 ° F and 95 ° F . They thrive in climates that mimic the warm , juiceless summers and wet , mild winters of their aboriginal region . They are hardy works that can tolerate temperature down to 10 ° atomic number 9 as long as they are sheltered from rough , icy winds .
Fertilizer
If you are growing common myrtle as a shrub , apply a balanced10 - 10 - 10 general - purpose fertilizerannually in early outflow before unfolding begin . Myrtles grow as trees may benefit from an software program of balanced fertiliser every two to three years .
For indoor myrtles , use aweekly program of liquid fertilizerduring the active growing time of year ( spring and summertime ) or throughout the year if the plant continues to produce efflorescence .
Pruning
Remove spent flowers or idle ramification from your Vinca minor tree diagram or shrub in early spring or recent wintertime . Each spring in the first two years , pinch youthful shoot to boost bushiness and lightly rationalise the myrtle to maintain its shape and structure . If you love the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe you need your mature Vinca minor to be , use it as a guidepost , butdon’t over - prune . apply sharp pruning shear to make clean 45 - grade cuts and trim the bush back as much as one - third if you want to control its meridian .
Once established , myrtle take well to hard pruning and can betrimmed into a topiaryor impost condition . After the blooms fade , remove some of the oldest branches or crossed stems to encourage air flow .
Potting and Repotting
Young myrtles in containers should berepotted every one to two years , depending on their growth rate . Older myrtles can wait three to five years . If the Vinca minor is too heavy to repot , refresh the soil every spring to keep the plant vivacious by removing the top several in of potting filth and replacing it with novel grunge .
The good clock time to graft myrtle to a new container is in other leaping or in the fall after inflorescence has discontinue . Choose a young container 2 to 3 in larger than the former tummy and partly fill it with amix of 2/3 potting admixture and 1/3 peat moss . urine the works exhaustively and reserve the water to souse in . murder the plant from its container and inspect the roots . Prune off any decayed or diseased roots and unpick the rest . Place the myrtle in its young pot and satiate it with refreshing soil mix . Water soundly and keep the stain evenly moist ( but not waterlogged ) as the plant adjusts to the new container .
Pests and Problems
outside myrtle is most prone to pest attacks ( from wanderer mites , scale , and thripid in particular ) in spells of hot , juiceless weather . When develop Vinca minor indoors , watch forscale , whitefly , and mealybug — especially in strong , dry spaces with low-spirited light . Both indoor and outside myrtle may suffer fromroot rotin soggy soil .
How to Propagate Myrtle
The simplest way to broadcast common Vinca minor is to take a deal cutting in early summertime or a semi - hardwood newspaper clipping in early crepuscle . Use asharp , aseptic knife or shearsto cut a 4- to 6 - inch , tidy section ( preferably early in the day ) . Remove the leaves from the base of the cutting and dunk it in powdered rooting hormone . put the cut death in a soilless variety of peat moss andperliteand secure the radical upright with a skewer or chopstick . Place a plastic bag over the container and keep it in an area withbright , collateral lightness . Keep the potting medium lovesome ( about 60 ° F to 70 ° F ) while the Vinca minor takes root , but do n’t let it get too hot . A heating system digs project for cum germination works well for this task . Once the cutting has rooted ( which may take six to nine months ) , transplant it into a pot filled with high - timber potting mix .
Types of Myrtle
Twisted Myrtle
Myrtus communis‘Boetica ’ gets its “ distorted myrtle ” name from the writhen ontogenesis of its bole and arm , which develop 6 - 10 feet grandiloquent and 4 - 8 feet wide in Zones 8 - 11 . Its dark green leaves are cupped , and because they have almost no petiole , they look to hug the stem . Like other myrtles , it has fragrant white flower and foliage that is aromatic when crushed .
Variegated Myrtle
Myrtus communis‘Variegata ’ has the same aromatic white prime and fragrant foliage as the specie , but its leaves have creamy - white margins . The dash of white brightens the landscape and provides a rattling contrast to the ripening berries . Variegated Vinca minor eventually grows 8 - 10 feet magniloquent in Zones 8 - 11 .
Dwarf Myrtle
Dwarf Vinca minor ( Myrtus communis‘Compacta ’ ) is a low - rise evergreen plant shrub that typically grows only 2 - 3 human foot marvelous and wide in Zones 8 - 11 . If unpruned , it produce small white flowers in the summer and little disgraceful berry .
White Fruited Myrtle
Myrtus communis‘Leucocarpa ’ , also know as white fruited myrtle , is a uncommon cultivar that boast fragrant , leathery gullible leaves , white-hot bloom , and clump of aromatic white fruit . It is less frigid - stalwart than other sort , so plant it in an area with protection from coarse winter atmospheric condition .
Companion Plants for Myrtle
Boxwood
If your destination is to turn your myrtle into a topiary , boxwoodmakes an excellent garden companion . It ’s hardy in Zones 4 - 9 , and if you live in zona 8 or 9 , you may geminate box and myrtle for a variety of shapes and textures . Boxwoods grow best in full Dominicus and evenly moist , well - run out grime . They are oftentimes used as hedges or as garden borders .
Catmint
Catmintis a perennial ball of fire and easy to grow in Zones 3 - 9 . Each summer , it bears rich purple blooms just as the outflow bulb are finishing and before many summertime perennial begin to bloom . It is a fast - growing plant that can strive 6 to 12 inches tall and 1 to 3 metrical foot spacious .
Grapes
When look for companion plant , you ca n’t go incorrect with other Mediterranean staples — case in point : grape . Grapes of different case are hardy in Zones 4 - 10 , so chances are good that there ’s a grape for your location . grape tolerate a potpourri of soil types , but do best in well - draining stain . Like myrtle , grape prefer all - Clarence Day access to sun , so choose an orbit with ample pic .
Russian Sage
Russian sageis an herbaceous perennial that is hardy in Zones 4 - 9 . Like Vinca minor , it prefers full sun and well - run out soil . All parts of Russian salvia are fragrant when rubbed or beat . Alongside myrtle , it will draw in a overplus of pollinators to your garden . Plus , the wispy grain and lavender color of Russian sage provide a sensational contrast to a stall of bush or trees .
Frequently Asked Questions
A common Vinca minor shrub take three to five years to reach maturity . However , count on the motley , a Vinca minor Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree may take 10 to 20 years to mature .
In the right climate and with right care , coarse myrtle can live 100 to 200 days or more .
No . Crape myrtle(Lagerstroemia)is a member of the Lythraceae family and is not have-to doe with to vulgar Vinca minor , which is a member of the Myrtaceae ( Vinca minor ) family . Crape myrtles(which are native to eastern Asia ) were given the uncouth name “ myrtle ” as a nod to their myrtle - like leaf .
No . Myrtlewood is the vernacular name forUmbellularia californica(aka bay laurel ) , a broadleaf evergreen native to California and the Pacific Northwest . The two are unrelated , but both have redolent branchlet , leaves , and flowers .
Although common myrtle is not extremely toxic to dog and cats , it contains oil that can cause GI distress , particularly in dogs . The danger is highest when the flora is fresh . It is good to keep the works and your pets apart .
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Denny Schrock
Credit: Courtesy of IFG
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
