Myrica cerifera
Encyclopedia
Myrica cerifera is a small tree
or large shrub
native to North America. Its common names include (Southern) Wax myrtle, (Southern) Bayberry, Candleberry, Bayberry tree, and Tallow shrub. It sees uses both in the garden and for candlemaking
, as well as a medicinal plant.
species that are sometimes split into the genus Morella, e.g. in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System
. This species also has several synonyms aside from the Myrica/Morella split: Cerothamnus pumilus, C. ceriferus, Myrica cerifera var. pumila, and Myrica pusilla. Myrica cerifera is most similar to M. pensylvanica
and M. heterophylla. These plants' fruit
s can distinguish them.
The generic name Myrica
comes from a Greek
word myrike, which refers to some fragrant plant (possibly tamarisk). The specific name means "wax-bearing".
or large shrub
, and is adaptable to many habitats. It grows naturally in wetlands, near flowing bodies of water, sand dunes, fields, hillsides, pine barrens, and in both needleleaf and mixed-broadleaf forests. Specimens in drier and sandier areas are shrub-like, have rhizome
s and smaller leaves than usual. Specimens in wetter areas are more tree-like with bigger leaves. However, these two forms are not clear-cut, with many intermediate forms. It is found in various habitats ranging from Central America
to Delaware
and Maryland
in the United States. However, the plant can be successfully cultivated as far north as southern Connecticut
and Long Island
on the U.S. east coast. It also grows in Bermuda
and the Caribbean
. In terms of succession
, M. cerifera is often one of the first plants to colonize an area.
M. cerifera is an evergreen
. The leaves
are long, and have leathery textures and serrated edges. They contain aromatic compounds. The leaves are glandular
.
This plant is dioecious
. Male flowers have three or four stamen
s, and are surrounded by short bract
s.. The flowers are borne on catkins. The female flowers develop into fruit, which are globular and surrounded by a natural wax
-like coating. All flowers are borne in inflorescence
s. The species flowers in late winter to spring, and female specimens bear fruit in late summer or fall. No endosperm
is present on the seeds. M. cerifera can also reproduce clonally
through runners.
The fruit is a source of food for a lot of bird species, including the Northern Bobwhite Quail
and the Wild Turkey
. In winter, the seeds are important foods for the Carolina Wren
and species of Tree Sparrow
. To a point, M. cerifera will also provide habitat for the Northern Bobwhite Quail. Birds digestive systems' remove the wax from the fruit, which a prerequisite for germination
.
This plant's roots possess root nodule
s. These are home to a symbiotic species of actinomycotal fungus, which fixes nitrogen
at a faster rate than legumes.
M. cerifera, or rather its shoot
, cannot handle wildfire
s well. Indeed, since the leaves, stem, and branches contain flammable aromatic compounds, a specimen of M. cerifera is a fire hazard. For that reason, a wildfire will often kill the shoot. Only a very small or transient fire will do less. In that case, only the most recent primary growth may be incinerated. In contrast to the weakness of its shoot, M. ceriferas root system
is fire-resistant. As of 1991, no known fire has killed this plant's roots. However, this plant will not survive shoot destruction indefinitely. Three consecutive years of shoot destruction may kill all plants affected. If this does not happen, this species will regrow a shoot. This is most rapid in the first season after a fire.
and horticulture
. It has been commonly purported to grow in American hardiness zone
s of 11 to 7b. However, this is an old, conservative estimate; in recent years, plants have performed well along the east coast as far north as zone 6b in northern Rhode Island. M. pensylvanica
substitutes for M. cerifera in areas colder than zone 6. Since the species is adaptable, it will tolerate many conditions, although it has a need for frequent pruning
. It can handle abuse from bad pruning, however. The species has at least four cultivar
s. Those dubbed Fairfax, Jamaica Road, and Don's Dwarf differ from the "typical" specimen in habit and form. The latter two are also resistant to leaf spot
. Var. pumila is a dwarf cultivar.
s such as myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone, as well as chemicals such as different flavonoid
s, tannin
s, resin
s, gum
s, and phenol
s. These compounds have varying effects. Myricadiol has a slight impact on levels of potassium
and sodium
, while a substance called myricitrin
has antibiotic properties.
Bayberry has a history of medicinal use. The Choctaw
boiled and used the result as a treatment for fever
s. Bayberry was eventually adopted as a medicinal plant, but only in the South
. In 1722, it was reported that colonists in Louisiana drank a mixture of wax and hot water to treat severe dysentery
. Bayberry was reported in an account from 1737 as being used to treat convulsions, colic
, palsy
, and seizure
s. Starting in the early 19th century, a herbalist called Samuel Thompson recommended this plant for producing "heat" within the body and as a treatment for infectious diseases and diarrhea
. That use of bayberry waned later in the 19th century, in favor of using it for a variety of ailments, including a topical
use for bleeding gums
. For twenty years starting in 1916, bayberry root bark was listed in the American National Formulary.
Medicinal use of Bayberry has declined since its peak in popularity in the 19th century. The plant is still used today in the treatment of fever, diarrhea, and a few other ailments. The chemical myricitrin has anti-fever properties. In addition, that chemical, along with the tannins, has anti-diarrheal properties. The myricitrin works as an antibiotic, while the tannins have astringent
properties.
In general, either a decoction
or a tincture
is used. Infusion
s and a topical paste have also been used.
Pregnant
women should not use Bayberry. In addition, tannin
action relating to cancer is unclear, with studies indicating both pro and anti-cancer effects. Bayberry, just like any other medicinal plant, should only be used under the supervision of a physician.
for those old-fashioned Christmas
decorations called bayberry candle
s. The wax was extracted by boiling the berries, and skimming off the floating hydrocarbons. The fats were then boiled again and then strained. After that the liquid was usable in candle making, whether through dipping or molding. Southern Bayberry is not the only plant usable for making bayberry candles, however. Its close relatives are also usable.
Southern Bayberry and its relatives have largely been supplanted in candlemaking by substitutes made from paraffin. The substitute candles have artificial colors and scents that create candles that look and smell similar to natural ones.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
or large shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
native to North America. Its common names include (Southern) Wax myrtle, (Southern) Bayberry, Candleberry, Bayberry tree, and Tallow shrub. It sees uses both in the garden and for candlemaking
History of candle making
Candle making was developed independently in many countries throughout history. The earliest known candles were made from whale fat by the Chinese, during the Qin Dynasty . In early China and Japan, tapers were made with wax from insects and seeds, wrapped in paper. In India, wax from boiling...
, as well as a medicinal plant.
Taxonomy
This plant is one of several MyricaMyrica
Myrica is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australasia...
species that are sometimes split into the genus Morella, e.g. in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagency group within the U.S...
. This species also has several synonyms aside from the Myrica/Morella split: Cerothamnus pumilus, C. ceriferus, Myrica cerifera var. pumila, and Myrica pusilla. Myrica cerifera is most similar to M. pensylvanica
Myrica pensylvanica
Myrica pensylvanica, the Northern Bayberry, is a species of Myrica native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Ohio, and south to North Carolina.Myrica pensylvanica is a deciduous shrub growing to 4.5 m tall...
and M. heterophylla. These plants' fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s can distinguish them.
The generic name Myrica
Myrica
Myrica is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australasia...
comes from a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word myrike, which refers to some fragrant plant (possibly tamarisk). The specific name means "wax-bearing".
Description
Myrica cerifera is a small treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
or large shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
, and is adaptable to many habitats. It grows naturally in wetlands, near flowing bodies of water, sand dunes, fields, hillsides, pine barrens, and in both needleleaf and mixed-broadleaf forests. Specimens in drier and sandier areas are shrub-like, have rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s and smaller leaves than usual. Specimens in wetter areas are more tree-like with bigger leaves. However, these two forms are not clear-cut, with many intermediate forms. It is found in various habitats ranging from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in the United States. However, the plant can be successfully cultivated as far north as southern Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
on the U.S. east coast. It also grows in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. In terms of succession
Ecological succession
Ecological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
, M. cerifera is often one of the first plants to colonize an area.
M. cerifera is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are long, and have leathery textures and serrated edges. They contain aromatic compounds. The leaves are glandular
Gland (botany)
In plants, a gland is defined functionally as a plant structure which secretes one or more products. This may be located on or near the plant surface and secrete externally, or be internal to the plant and secrete into a canal or reservoir...
.
This plant is dioecious
Dioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
. Male flowers have three or four stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s, and are surrounded by short bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s.. The flowers are borne on catkins. The female flowers develop into fruit, which are globular and surrounded by a natural wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
-like coating. All flowers are borne in inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s. The species flowers in late winter to spring, and female specimens bear fruit in late summer or fall. No endosperm
Endosperm
Endosperm is the tissue produced inside the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet...
is present on the seeds. M. cerifera can also reproduce clonally
Vegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
through runners.
The fruit is a source of food for a lot of bird species, including the Northern Bobwhite Quail
Bobwhite Quail
The Northern Bobwhite, Virginia Quail or Bobwhite Quail is a ground-dwelling bird native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean...
and the Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
. In winter, the seeds are important foods for the Carolina Wren
Carolina Wren
The Carolina Wren is a common species of wren, resident in the eastern half of the USA, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico...
and species of Tree Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version of the adult...
. To a point, M. cerifera will also provide habitat for the Northern Bobwhite Quail. Birds digestive systems' remove the wax from the fruit, which a prerequisite for germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
.
This plant's roots possess root nodule
Root nodule
Root nodules occur on the roots of plants that associate with symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known as rhizobia...
s. These are home to a symbiotic species of actinomycotal fungus, which fixes nitrogen
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
at a faster rate than legumes.
M. cerifera, or rather its shoot
Shoot
Shoots are new plant growth, they can include stems, flowering stems with flower buds, and leaves. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop...
, cannot handle wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s well. Indeed, since the leaves, stem, and branches contain flammable aromatic compounds, a specimen of M. cerifera is a fire hazard. For that reason, a wildfire will often kill the shoot. Only a very small or transient fire will do less. In that case, only the most recent primary growth may be incinerated. In contrast to the weakness of its shoot, M. ceriferas root system
Root system
In mathematics, a root system is a configuration of vectors in a Euclidean space satisfying certain geometrical properties. The concept is fundamental in the theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras...
is fire-resistant. As of 1991, no known fire has killed this plant's roots. However, this plant will not survive shoot destruction indefinitely. Three consecutive years of shoot destruction may kill all plants affected. If this does not happen, this species will regrow a shoot. This is most rapid in the first season after a fire.
Ornamental
Myrica cerifera finds use in gardeningGardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
and horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
. It has been commonly purported to grow in American hardiness zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
s of 11 to 7b. However, this is an old, conservative estimate; in recent years, plants have performed well along the east coast as far north as zone 6b in northern Rhode Island. M. pensylvanica
Myrica pensylvanica
Myrica pensylvanica, the Northern Bayberry, is a species of Myrica native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Ohio, and south to North Carolina.Myrica pensylvanica is a deciduous shrub growing to 4.5 m tall...
substitutes for M. cerifera in areas colder than zone 6. Since the species is adaptable, it will tolerate many conditions, although it has a need for frequent pruning
Pruning
Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping , improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for...
. It can handle abuse from bad pruning, however. The species has at least four cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s. Those dubbed Fairfax, Jamaica Road, and Don's Dwarf differ from the "typical" specimen in habit and form. The latter two are also resistant to leaf spot
Leaf spot
Leaf spots are round blemishes found on the leaves of many species of plants, mostly caused by parasitic fungi or bacteria.A typical spot is "zonal", meaning it has a definite edge and often has a darker border. When lots of spots are present, they can grow together and become a blight or a blotch...
. Var. pumila is a dwarf cultivar.
Medicinal
Bayberry root bark is the part used in herbalism. The plant contains several organic compounds, including: triterpeneTriterpene
Triterpenes are terpenes consisting of six isoprene units and have the molecular formula C30H48.The pentacyclic triterpenes can be classified into lupane, oleanane or ursane groups.Animal- and plant-derived triterpenes exist, such as:*squalene...
s such as myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone, as well as chemicals such as different flavonoid
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
s, tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
s, resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
s, gum
Gum
-Natural gums:* Natural gum, any of a number of naturally occurring resinous materials in vegetative species* Gum anima* Gum arabic, used as food additive, adhesive et al.* Cassia gum* Dammar gum* Gellan gum* Guar gum* Kauri gum* Locust bean gum* Spruce gum...
s, and phenol
Natural phenol
Natural phenols, bioavailable phenols, plant phenolics, low molecular weight phenols or phenoloids are a class of natural products. They are small molecules containing one or more phenolic group. These molecules are smaller in size than polyphenols, containing less than 12 phenolic groups...
s. These compounds have varying effects. Myricadiol has a slight impact on levels of potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
and sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
, while a substance called myricitrin
Myricitrin
Myricitrin is a chemical compound. It can be isolated from the root bark of Myrica cerifera and in Chrysobalanus icaco.Myricitrin is the 3-O-rhamnoside of myricetin....
has antibiotic properties.
Bayberry has a history of medicinal use. The Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
boiled and used the result as a treatment for fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
s. Bayberry was eventually adopted as a medicinal plant, but only in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. In 1722, it was reported that colonists in Louisiana drank a mixture of wax and hot water to treat severe dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. Bayberry was reported in an account from 1737 as being used to treat convulsions, colic
Colic
Colic is a form of pain which starts and stops abruptly. Types include:*Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying*Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones...
, palsy
Palsy
In medicine, palsy is the paralysis of a body part, often accompanied by loss of sensation and by uncontrolled body movements, such as shaking. Medical conditions involving palsy include cerebral palsy , brachial palsy , and Bell's palsy ....
, and seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s. Starting in the early 19th century, a herbalist called Samuel Thompson recommended this plant for producing "heat" within the body and as a treatment for infectious diseases and diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
. That use of bayberry waned later in the 19th century, in favor of using it for a variety of ailments, including a topical
Topical
In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
use for bleeding gums
Gingiva
The gingiva , or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth.-General description:...
. For twenty years starting in 1916, bayberry root bark was listed in the American National Formulary.
Medicinal use of Bayberry has declined since its peak in popularity in the 19th century. The plant is still used today in the treatment of fever, diarrhea, and a few other ailments. The chemical myricitrin has anti-fever properties. In addition, that chemical, along with the tannins, has anti-diarrheal properties. The myricitrin works as an antibiotic, while the tannins have astringent
Astringent
An astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
properties.
In general, either a decoction
Decoction
Decoction is a method of extraction, by boiling, of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. Decoction involves first mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substances...
or a tincture
Tincture
A tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-volatile substance . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60%...
is used. Infusion
Infusion
An infusion is the outcome of steeping plants with desired chemical compounds or flavors in water or oil.-History:The first recorded use of essential oils was in the 10th or 11th century by the Persian polymath Avicenna, possibly in The Canon of Medicine.-Preparation techniques:An infusion is very...
s and a topical paste have also been used.
Pregnant
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
women should not use Bayberry. In addition, tannin
Tannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
action relating to cancer is unclear, with studies indicating both pro and anti-cancer effects. Bayberry, just like any other medicinal plant, should only be used under the supervision of a physician.
Candles
Southern Bayberry's fruits are a traditional source of the waxWax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
for those old-fashioned Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
decorations called bayberry candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s. The wax was extracted by boiling the berries, and skimming off the floating hydrocarbons. The fats were then boiled again and then strained. After that the liquid was usable in candle making, whether through dipping or molding. Southern Bayberry is not the only plant usable for making bayberry candles, however. Its close relatives are also usable.
Southern Bayberry and its relatives have largely been supplanted in candlemaking by substitutes made from paraffin. The substitute candles have artificial colors and scents that create candles that look and smell similar to natural ones.