Myrtus communis

Myrtle

Family: Myrtaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Myrtle is a naturalized shrub found in the northern Coast Ranges interior in disturbed wet areas at an elevation of 740 meters. Flowering with white petals that are round to ovate and spreading, its blossoms are less than 2.5 centimeters wide with stamens forming a dense ring. Growing up to 6 meters tall with a somewhat contorted trunk that ranges from gray to orange-brown, it develops a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are thinly leathery, dark green, and range from 0.8 to 4.5 centimeters long, with an ovate to lanceolate shape that tapers to an acute or acuminate tip. The fruit is less than 12 millimeters wide, completing the plant's compact and intricate form.

Habitat: Disturbed wet areas

Elevation: 740 m

Bioregions: NCoRI

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.