Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Bayberry

Description

Bayberry, also known as wax myrtle, waxberry, or candelberry, is both a shrub and a tree. All members of the bayberry family are classified botanically as Myricaceae, and many varieties are found all over the world, including Japan, South America, the West Indies, the United Kingdom, and in the United States.

American bayberry (Myrica cerifera) is a shrub that grows 3–8 ft (1–2.4 m) high. It is found in eastern North America, in marshes and bogs near sandy Atlantic coastal areas, as well as in similar areas along the shores of the Great Lakes. American bayberry is the variety most often mentioned by herbalists.

American bayberry and its British Isles cousin, English bog myrtle, are very alike in appearance, and grows to a similar height. Foliage is evergreen and consists of knife-blade shaped shiny leaves that have small spots on them. When crumpled in one's hand, bayberry leaves and...