Myrica gale is a shrub native to northern and western Europe and parts of
North America. This shrub is usually found in peat bogs, and at the edges of ponds
and streams. Its roots contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing the plant to survive in
low-nutrient environments.
Plants: Bushy shrubs reaching 2-4′ (60-121 cm) in size.
They have a distinctive sweet resinous scent, which once served as an insect repellant for tent-dwelling
hikers.
Leaves: Leaves spiral around the branches. Each leaf is dark-green to grayish, smooth-edged, glossy, ⅜-3″ (1-8 cm) ×
⅛-1″ (4-28 mm), oblanceolate. Leaf undersides are paler, with fine hairs.
Flowers: Flowers are inconspicuous catkins, appearing from Mar-May.
The species is dioecious: male and female flowers appear on separate plants.
Fruits: Fruits resemble the flowers
in size, but they are nutlets, like small cones.