Myrtle
Myrtus communis
Also called Common myrtle and Myrtus
Garden plant · ShrubsCrush a leaf and the whole plant is in your hand — it is the aromatic oil that makes it worth growing as much as the flowers. Traditionally taken from a wedding bouquet and struck as a cutting, which works: it roots easily in summer.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 9 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Full sun, against a warm wall
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 3 m tall · 3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- The Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Small leaves browning on the windward side over winter while the sheltered side stays green. It takes more frost than it takes wind — a wall matters more than a fleece.Cold wind burn · disorder
- Flat brown discs along the undersides of the twigs and a sticky shine with sooty black on the leaves below them.Scale insect · pest