I use this herb mostly as a spice. I find that it substitutes readily for Bay Leaf, but that it is much milder and sweeter in flavor. Boiled Dinner or Jigg's Dinner (NFLD) will never taste better when you drop two or three Bayberry leaves into the broth.

I also just love the smell of this leaf and its twigs when they are burned as an incense. Traditionally bayberry wax has been used to make candles for Christmas. Since the pretty Myrtle Warbler (or Yellow Rumped Warbler) loves to eat the little waxberries on this plant, I can never find enough of the berries to make my own wax. I will be content with smelling the leaves in a Christmas wreath and let the berries for the Warbler.

In Europe, Myrica species were also traditionally used in a garland for the bridesmaid, to help promote fertility in the marriage. I would be careful on a snowy Christmas eve, burning Bayberry candles, eating chocolates, and snuggling with your partner! Heaven forbid if you have just finished a Crown Roast of Lamb, spiced with Bayberry leaves.Unless of course you would like to end up with beautiful little children like I have. ;-)

Here are some other species of Myrica and their uses:

This information was obtained from the USDA-ARS GRIN database.

Taxon: Myrica pensylvanica Loisel.

Genus: Myrica
Family: Myricaceae.
Nomen number: 104934.
Name verified on 21-Jul-1995 by Systematic Botany Laboratory. Last updated: 22-May-1997.
Species priority site is: National Arboretum (NA). 4 accessions (by country).
Protologue: Duhamel, Traite arbr. arbust. 2:190, t. 55. 1804.

Common names:

• bayberry
• northern bayberry (Source: Trees US)
• candle-berry (Source: F Canada, F NEng)
• myrica cirier (Source: Dict Rehm)
• abre à cire (Source: Dict Rehm)
• árbol de la cera (Source: Dict Rehm)

Uses for taxon:

• Environmental uses: erosion control (Krussmann)
• Materials: wax (Econ Bot 12:104. 1958)

Species range:

Maine, United States [south]; New Hampshire, United States [southeast]; Massachusetts, United States [east]; Rhode Island, United States; Connecticut, United States; New Jersey, United States; New York, United States [southeast]; Pennsylvania, United States [south & northwest]; Maryland, United States; Delaware, United States; Virginia, United States [east]; North Carolina, United States [northeast]; Ohio, United States [northeast]; St. Pierre and Miquelon; Quebec, Canada [east]; Newfoundland, Canada [south]; New Brunswick, Canada; Prince Edward Island, Canada; Nova Scotia, Canada; Ontario, Canada [Norfolk Co.]

Species citations:

• J. T. Kartesz. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. (L USCan ed2)
• E. E. Terrell et al. 1986. Agric. Handb. no. 505. (AH 505)
• N. L. Britton & A. Brown. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British possessions (IllF NUSCan)
• E. T. Wherry et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania. (Atlas Penn)
• M. L. Fernald. 1950. Gray's manual of botany, ed. 8. (Gray's Man)
• R. G. Brown & M. L. Brown. 1984. Herbaceous plants of Maryland. (HPl Mary)
• A. E. Radford et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. (F Carolin)
• H. A. Gleason & A. Cronquist. 1963. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. (Glea Cron)
• H. J. Scoggan. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol. (F Canada)
• F. Seymour. 1969. The flora of New England. (F NEng)

Check other databases for Myrica pensylvanica:

• PLANTS: Database of North American Plants (USDA-NRCS)

If you like this info, why not link to the USDA site:

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Tue Nov 4 14:55:23 EST 1997
Data extracted from the USDA-ARS GRIN database.

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