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PlantFiles: Gale, Sweet Gale, Bog Myrtle
Myrica gale

 
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Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Myrica (MIR-i-ka) (Info)
Species: gale (ga-lee) (Info)

Synonym:Gale palustris

One vendor has this plant for sale.

One member has or wants this plant for trade.

Category:
Herbs
Ponds and Aquatics
Shrubs

Height:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)

Spacing:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 2b: to -42.7 °C (-45 °F)
USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 °C (-40 °F)
USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 °C (-35 °F)
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Light Shade

Danger:
Unknown - Tell us

Bloom Color:
Pale Yellow
Chartreuse (Yellow-Green)

Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Deciduous
Aromatic
Smooth-Textured

Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Very high moisture needs; suitable for bogs and water gardens

Soil pH requirements:
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Non-patented

Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
By simple layering

Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds

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By Baa
Thumbnail #1 of Myrica gale by Baa

By Todd_Boland
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Thumbnail #5 of Myrica gale by claypa

Profile:

1 positive
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive claypa On Oct 12, 2008, claypa from West Pottsgrove, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:

This is reported to be invasive in parts of Hawaii, but it's threatened or endangered in some eastern United States. Grows on lakeshores and in peat bogs. Smells great, and is used to flavor some beers.

Neutral Baa On Aug 31, 2002, Baa wrote:

A deciduous shrub from Europe, Asia and North America.

Has lance shaped leaves which are toothed at the tip and have resinous glands which are pleasantly scented when crushed. Bears small, male or female (sometimes both sexes on one plant) yellowish-greenish brown, catkins. The catkins are followed by small, yellowish fruit.

Flowers May-July

Loves a constantly moist or waterlogged, peaty, acid soil in full sun or light shade.

Not perhaps the best shrub for a garden as it has a tendancy to sucker and form a thicket but it is easily pruned to control this habit. It really shines in the fact that it inhabits areas that many other plants couldn't cope with and it's wild habitat is wet heath/moorland, bog and shallow water.

Suprisingly it has some use medicinally and you can sometimes find Sweet Gale tea which helps ease stomach ache (always take advice from trained herbalists on these matters). It's leaves and fruit have been used to flavour soups and stews and was once popular as a flavouring for ale.

The fruits can be used for aromatic candles and an isecticide.

Roots and bark were used to create a yellow, yellow brown dye and the leaves can be dried to scent cloth.



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