Plants
Sweet Gale, Sweet Bayberry, Bog Myrtle / Myrica gale
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7.50 € Sweet Gale, Sweet Bayberry, Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)
7878N - Available
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6.95 € Sweet Gale, Sweet Bayberry, Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)
7878O - Available
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0.40 € FERTILISER
7878A - Available
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Area of origin: Western Europe
Adult Dimensions: Height up to 1.50 m, width up to 1 m
Foliage: Deciduous
Soil type: Neutral to acid. Wet soils
Hardiness: Hardy to -20°C.
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Density for plantation: 1 plant/m2
Characteristics and uses:
The Myrica Gale’s common names include Sweetgale, bog-myrtle, sweet willow or Dutch myrtle. It is a deciduous shrub which typically grows in wet soils or peat bogs, rich in humus and acid. It can also be planted in poor soils as it can fix nitrogen in its roots. In the Landes department, or more commonly in Quebec, it grows on the banks of lakes or ponds, in peat bogs and other wet areas. There, it is also called ‘Bois-sent-bon’ because of the sweet resinous scent of its foliage.
The leaves can be dried to make tea, but the catkins were highly appreciated for their sweet aroma. In the Middle Ages, it was much used, mixed with other herbs and spices, as a flavouring for beer, until it was replaced by hops, which is widely used today.
