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Myrtus communis
In Singapore: Common Myrtle, Sweet Myrtle, True Myrtle, 香桃木 (Grown in Singapore)
Myrtus communis is an evergreen shrub or small tree from the Mediterranean region, grown for its fragrant aromatic leaves and white flowers. It thrives in a sheltered spot in full sun.
Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is an Old World species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It forms an evergreen shrub.
This species and the more compact M. communis subsp. tarentina have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. They are hardy but prefer a sheltered position in full sun.
The plant can be propagated with seeds stratified for 3 months. Also, one can use a cutting with a short heel (small part of the bark), keeping it in moistened rooting mix.
The species is native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian subcontinent.
The essential oils derived from this plant have anti-proliferative and anti-quorum sensing properties, helping against food spoilage. The berries are also macerated in alcohol to make Mirto liqueur.
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Myrtus communis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
