Sweetgale
Myrica gale L. - Bayberry family
Size
Mature Height: Up to around 6.0 feet
Planting Distance: 29 inches
Plant Type: Shrub
Root Depth: 14 inches
Growth Form: Multiple Stem
Growth Rate: Moderate
Features
Flower Color: Blue
Conspicuous Flowers: No
Bloom Time: Spring
Seasonal Growth: Summer
Evergreen: No
Fall Colors: No
Conditions
Shade Tolerance: Tolerant
Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes
Sandy Soil Tolerance: No
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Flood Tolerance: Medium
Fire Tolerance: High
Salt Tolerance: None
Ecosystem Interactions
Pollinators: Larval Host (Moth); Wind
Larval Species depending on Sweetgale: Acleris bowmanana, Acleris fragariana, Acleris kearfottana, Acleris minuta, Acrobasis comptoniella, Acronicta impressa, Acronicta oblinita, Agonopterix walsinghamella, Aphelia alleniana, Apotomis paludicolana, Archips myricana, Argyrotaenia repertana, Argyrotaenia velutinana, Autographa ampla, Bucculatrix paroptila, Caloptilia asplenifoliatella, Caloptilia flavella, Catocala coelebs, Cingilia catenaria, Cleora projecta, Coenophila opacifrons, Eugraphe subrosea, Lithophane thaxteri, Lymantria dispar, Macaria sulphurea, Melanchra assimilis, Melanolophia canadaria, Mniotype ducta, Morrisonia confusa, Nemoria rubrifrontaria, Olethreutes galevora, Orgyia leucostigma, Ortholepis myricella, Pandemis limitata, Pero zalissaria, Rheumaptera hastata, Sparganothis daphnana, Sphinx gordius, Sphinx poecila, Spilosoma virginica, Syngrapha epigaea, Tacparia atropunctata, Utetheisa bella, Xestia youngii
Native Range
- USA: Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin
- CAN: Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.