Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) hedges (to the left and right) six weeks after midsummer pruning.

Some of the best things about Northern bayberry aren’t visible to the naked eye. It can be a handsome plant, with glossy green leaves and blue-gray berries. But one of its real beauties is the ability to tolerate a range of soil and weather conditions. It withstands wind-blown salt spray, making it a really fine candidate for planting along roadways in this snowy part of the country.

The foliage is pleasantly aromatic, and so are the berries, which are the source of bayberry candle wax. The berries are an important winter food for birds.

Left unpruned, Northern bayberry forms a fairly open shrub, good for the back of a border or transition to a wooded area. Annual pruning will encourage a denser hedge. Both male and female plants are needed for berry production. It has no serious pests or diseases.

Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) berries persist most of the year.

Common Name: Northern bayberry

Botanical Name: Morella pensylvanica

Winter Hardiness: USDA Zone 2

Blooming Period: May

Type: Deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub

Size: 5 to 12 feet

Exposure: Sun to part shade

When to Plant: Spring or fall

How to Plant: 5 feet apart, or 3 feet apart for a formal hedge. Shrubs will sucker.

Soil: Moist to average, acidic to neutral, clay to sand

Watering: Once a week for the first three months (only if no rain)

When to Prune: Thin and shorten stems in spring, shape in midsummer

When to Fertilize: Not necessary

In Your Landscape: Group for informal screening; prune annually for a more formal hedge; cover a slope or streamside for erosion control.

(From Ohio Gardener Volume I Issue I. Photography By Ann McCulloh.)