Birch Leaf Spirea vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Northern Bayberry

Spiraea betulifolia

Myrica pensylvanica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

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Northern Bayberry

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes
Berries: blue-gray
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub