Magic Myrtles

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a plant that has been on my ‘to grow’ list for years now, although it has yet to make an appearance in the garden. In the UK it is often grown as an ornamental plant, an evergreen shrub up to 3m in height and width. Given a spot in full sun and well-drained soil, it produces pink buds that open into white flowers with multiple gold-tipped stamens, followed by blue-black berries. It is hardy down to -10°C, and in mild areas can be grown as a hedge as it tolerates regular clipping. The species has the most frost tolerance; some of the named varieties are less hardy, but there are also smaller varieties that will tolerate being in a container long term, and so can be moved into more sheltered accommodations for the winter.

If you have a plant you want to use for culinary purposes then (after checking it’s the right species, please!) you can use the leaves in the same way as bay leaves, and the berries (which are known by the lovely name ‘mursins’) like juniper berries.

The reason it’s important to check you’ve got the right plant is because myrtle is a name used for lots of other species. Myrtus communis is a member of the Myrtle family, the Myrtaceae, and in fact I already have some of its relatives in the garden – including the Chilean guavas (Ugni molinae) I am going to use as a low hedge in the front garden, and my poor Acca sellowiana, which has been living in a pot for far too long and needs some love and attention.

According to The Botanist in the Kitchen:

“Several of the Australian Myrtaceae species (order Myrtales) are lemony and used as a spice, including lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), lemon gum (Corymbia citriodora), and lemon tea tree (Leptospermum polygalifolium).”

In fact, the