Sweetgale is a bushy native shrub with a rounded habit formed by ascending branches and fragrant tappered grey-green foliage with paler undersides. If the inconspicuous female catkins in late spring are pollinated, they give way to tiny clusters of yellow nutlets that age to brown and persist into winter. Grows best in moist acidic soils. Can be considered a fire hazard in some areas, as the aromatic compounds of the foliage and stems are flammable.
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Type:
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Shrub
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Origins:
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Northern Hemisphere; Northern NA Native
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Height:
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4’ - 6’
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Spread:
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4’ - 6’
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Spacing:
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5’
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USDA Hardiness Zone:
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3 - 7
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Culture:
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Full Sun, Part Sun
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Bloom Color:
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Green
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Season of Interest:
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Year-Round
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MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance plant. No serious pests or diseases. Can tolerate both drought and wet soils.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents and Group Plantings, Borders, Rock Gardens, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Wildlife Garden, Ponds and Streams, Hedges, Foundation Plantings, and Containers.
COMPANION PLANTS: Dogwood, Sedge, Turtlehead
IMAGES: Prides Corner, Myrica gale, (2) OSU Landscape Plants, Myrica gale
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.
