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Common Name: Bog Myrtle

General Information

Myrica gale is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 2.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

This plant is an abortifacient and so should not be eaten by pregnant women[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Portugal, east to N.W. Russia. N. America.

Habitat

Bogs, marshes, fens and wet heathland in acid soils but plants are occasionally found in calcareous fens[, , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

There is some difference of opinion about the needs of this plant. Most reports say that it prefers a moist soil and that it grows well in an open position in a well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Most reports also say that it prefers or even requires a lime-free loamy or peaty soil[, ] but another report says that it succeeds in any ordinary garden soil[]. In the wild it is usually found in soils with a pH between 3.5 and 6, but it is also sometimes found in fens with a pH as high as 7.5[].
A suckering shrub, when well sited it can form thickets[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].This habit also allows the plant to succeed in water-logged soils[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required. This plant is occasionally monoecious and also can change sex from year to year[]. Flowers are produced mainly on one-year old wood[].
All parts of the plant are pleasantly aromatic[].
A good food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

The aromatic fruits and leaves are used either fresh or dried to flavour soups, stews etc[, , , , ]. They are sometimes put in beer and ale to improve the flavour and increase foaming[]. The fruit is about 3mm in diameter with a single large seed[].
The dried leaves make a delicate and palatable tea[, , , ].

Medicinal

The leaves are abortifacient, aromatic, astringent, emmenagogue and stomachic[, , , ]. The leaves are normally used as a tea, but they do contain a poisonous aromatic oil, so some caution is advised in their use[].
Since the dark ages the plant has been used to treat depression because of its ability to induce a good mood and calm stress[].
Bog myrtle has also been used in poultices to heal wounds, suggesting that it may contain strong anti-bacterial agents that could perhaps be developed into new antibiotics.

Other Uses

A wax covering on the fruit and leaves is extracted by scalding the fruit with boiling water and immersing them for a few minutes, the wax floats to the surface and is then skimmed off. The fruit is then boiled in water to extract the wax from the pulp and once more the wax is skimmed off. It is then strained through a muslin cloth and can be used to make aromatic candles[, , ]. These candles diffuse a delightful odour when burnt[]. Unfortunately this species does not produce enough wax to make it commercially viable[].
A yellow dye is obtained from the stem tips[, , ]. Brown according to another report[].
A yellow dye is obtained from the seeds[].
The bark contains tannin and can be gathered in the autumn and used as a yellow dye[].
The plant repels moths and insects in general[, , ]. The fragrant leaves are used[, ]. In 1995 a commercial midge-repellent based on bog-myrtle appeared on the market under the name ‘Myrica’. It was produced from wild myrtle growing on the Isle of Skye, which had been steam distilled to produce a volatile essential oil[]. In initial trials, eight volunteers each had one arm covered in a gel made from the essential oil. Untreated arms recorded 155 bites while the treated arms received just 13 (over a 10 minute period)[]. A strong decoction of the leaves can be used as a parasiticide to kill external body parasites[].
A fragrant essential oil is obtained from the fruits[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Barely cover the seed and keep it moist. Stored seed germinates more freely if given a 3 month cold stratification and then sown in a cold frame. Germination is usually good[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in the cold frame for the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer[].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Pot up and overwinter in a cold frame. Fair to good percentage[].
Cuttings of mature wood in late autumn in a frame.
Layering in spring[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions.