Common Myrtle

Myrtus communis

• Position: full sun
• Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to August
• Hardiness: frost hardy (needs winter protection in cold areas)

  
  In mid to late summer, this bushy, evergreen shrub is festooned with fragrant, white, fluffy flowers, followed by round, purple-black berries. But it is an asset to the garden all year round, with glossy, pointed leaves that give off a fragrant aroma when crushed and provide a handsome backdrop for other flowering plants. A useful and pretty shrub for a sunny border or for growing against a south or west-facing wall.
  

• Garden care : Protect from cold, drying winds. Apply a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in early spring. Remove any unwanted growth in late spring.
  
• Goes well with: Sarcococca confusa, Lavandula x intermedia 'Dutch Group', Rosmarinus officinalis 'Miss Jessop's Upright', Petrovskia atriplicifolia, Iris reticulata, Clematis viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans'