Shrub
True Myrtle
Myrtus communis · Myrtaceae
Also called: Common Myrtle, Sweet Myrtle, Roman Myrtle
True Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, with a moderate growth rate. Expect white (with showy fluffy stamens) blooms Fragrant flowers in late spring through summer.
True Myrtle at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade; thrives in full Tucson sun including reflected heat once established, and also tolerates light shade.
- Mature size
- Typically 5-12 ft tall and wide if unpruned; commonly kept at 3-6 ft as a hedge.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- White (with showy fluffy stamens), Fragrant flowers in late spring through summer (May-July), followed by bluish-black aromatic berries.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 15-20°F; may suffer tip/foliage damage in hard Tucson freezes but usually recovers. Established plants are generally reliable in 9a/9b with little or no frost protection.
- Soil
- Adaptable; tolerates alkaline Tucson soils and needs good drainage. Tolerates a range of soils from sandy to clay if not waterlogged.
- Native range
- Mediterranean region and western Asia
- Best used as
- Hedge or screen, Topiary and formal clipped forms, Foundation planting, Aromatic/herb garden (leaves and berries are culinary/aromatic), Mediterranean and water-thrifty landscapes
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and pollinators; berries eaten by birds.
- Toxicity
- Considered non-toxic and is a culinary herb (leaves, berries, and oil used as seasoning and in fragrance). Safe around pets and children; aromatic foliage.
How to grow True Myrtle in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established; deep-water every 1-2 weeks in summer and every 3-4 weeks in winter for best appearance, though established plants survive on less. Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep roots.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder; little fertilizer needed. A single application of balanced or slow-release fertilizer in spring is sufficient. Generally untroubled by chlorosis in well-drained soil.
Pruning & care
Takes shearing well and can be kept as a formal hedge, or left informal; prune to shape in spring after frost danger. Tip-pinch to densify. Can be limbed up into a small multi-trunk specimen.
Notes
A tough, water-thrifty Mediterranean evergreen well suited to Tucson, more drought- and heat-adapted than boxwood, nandina, or Indian hawthorn. Aromatic foliage when crushed; long used as a clipped hedge and topiary subject in low-desert landscapes.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Reputable Southwest horticulture references