Northern Bayberry vs Emerald Cedar - TreeTime.ca

Northern Bayberry vs Emerald Cedar

Myrica pensylvanica

Thuja occidentalis Smaragd

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Northern Bayberry
Emerald Cedar

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.

Emerald Cedar makes a great addition to landscapes, and is often used to form tight hedges or privacy screens. The thick scale-like foliage adds texture and colour to yards and is commonly used to line driveways. Unlike other cedars it retains its green colour throughout the fall and winter.

It is a semi dwarf species, which generally needs little pruning, but if desired it responds well to trimming. Its attractive, columnar shape and dense foliage makes it a desired landscape feature.

The Emerald Cedar won the award of merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Emerald Cedar Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none

Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.

Berries: blue-gray
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub
Other Names: smaragd arborvitae, thuja occidentalis emeraude