The fruit is a round berry containing several seeds, most commonly blue-black in colour. A variety with yellow-amber berries is also present. The seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the berries. Saharan myrtle. Myrtus nivellei, the Saharan myrtle, (Tuareg language: tefeltest), is endemic to the mountains of the central Sahara Desert.
What do myrtle berries taste like?
The fresh berries have a somewhat bitter and tannic after-taste. Myrtle berries are available in the fall. Myrtle berries are botanically classified as Myrtus communis and sometimes referred to as Common Myrtle, True Myrtle, Sweet Myrtle or Roman Myrtle.
What is Myrtle fruit made of?
The fruit is a round berry containing several seeds, most commonly blue-black in colour. A variety with yellow-amber berries is also present. The seeds are dispersed by birds that eat the berries. Myrtus nivellei, the Saharan myrtle, ( Tuareg language: tefeltest ), is endemic to the mountains of the central Sahara Desert.
What are myrtle berries good for?
As early as ancient times, Egyptians and Assyrians used to use myrtle berries for their antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. For this same reason, ulcers were also treated with this plant (its berries in particular). Variety.
What is a myrtle tree?
Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or mytle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to Southern Europe, North Africa and West Asia.
Is a myrtle berry a blueberry?
They both look identical from the outside, but blueberries have a light-green flesh while myrtle berry flesh is red or purple.
What does myrtle berry taste like?
The taste is a cross between Juniper and rosemary, with an initial aroma of pine and eucalyptus. The fresh berries have a somewhat bitter and tannic after-taste.
Are myrtle berries good for you?
The fruit, leaves, and branches are used to make medicine. People take myrtle for treating lung infections including bronchitis, whooping cough, and tuberculosis. They also take it for bladder conditions, diarrhea, persistent heartburn, heavy periods, yeast infections, and worms.
Are myrtle berries poisonous?
Myrtus communis has no toxic effects reported.
How do you eat myrtle berries?
Use in game recipes. The flowers can be added to fruit salads or salads. Berries can be used as replacement for juniper but with a milder flavour.
Are myrtle berries poisonous to dogs?
The running myrtle has over 100 toxic alkaloids that can be dangerous if ingested by your dog. Some of these alkaloids may cause lowered blood pressure and nervous system disturbance, as well as the cell damage that they are reported to produce.
What is the myrtle tree in the Bible?
The references in Isaiah (Isaiah 41:19 and 55:13) refer to the divine establishment of the people in the land in subjection to Jehovah. As an evergreen, fragrant shrub associated with watercourses, the myrtle is a fitting symbol of the recovery and establishment of God's promises.
Is Common Myrtle edible?
Most parts of the plant have culinary uses. The berries that follow the flowers are edible. Fruits, flowers and leaves when dried are used as a food flavoring. The leaves are also used as a bay leaf substitute. Some even use the wood to flavor meats.
Can children drink lemon myrtle tea?
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's UNSAFE to take myrtle by mouth if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Don't use it. Children: Myrtle is UNSAFE for children. Even simple facial contact with the oil can cause breathing problems and death in infants and small children.
Are crepe myrtle berries poisonous to humans?
Many beautiful plants contain toxins that present a danger to puppies and other animals. However, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that crepe myrtle is perfectly safe and non-toxic for animals, as well as humans.
How do you cook with myrtle?
Cooking with Myrtle In the Mediterranean, the berries were initially used to flavor wine but are now more commonly used in desserts, liqueurs, and sweet dishes. The leaves are used in stews, roast meats, stuffings, salads, and meat ragouts. The leaves are used to wrap wild game or roast pork before cooking.
Are myrtles edible?
In the kitchen, myrtle leaves can be used for flavoring soups and stews in much the same way one would use bay leaves. The berries are also highly edible, with a fruity, slightly astringent flavor which goes particularly well with enhancing chicken, fish and meat dishes.
Are crape myrtle berries edible?
Some varieties of Crape Myrtle produce edible berries that are sold commercially. The berries of other Crape Myrtle cultivars are better suited as snacks for birds and animals.
Where is myrtle native to?
It is an evergreen shrub native to Southern Europe, North Africa and West Asia. It is also distributed in South America, North western Himalaya and Australia and widespread in the Mediterranean region.
Why do people use myrtle?
For this reason, many people turn to this herb in order to boost the strength of their immune system. ( 10)
How big does a myrtle tree get?
Plant Description. Myrtle is an aromatic evergreen perennial shrub or small tree that grows up to 8-12 ft. (24 3- 365 cm) all and 7-11 feet (240-360 cm) wide but this plant is usually kept smaller with pruning.
How much myrtle oil can you overdose on?
Overdoses of myrtle oil (more than 10 g) can lead to life threatening poisoning, due to high cineole content.
What is the fruit used in aromatherapy?
However, the most prevailing use of myrtle is the essential oil, which can be applied during aromatherapy and have impressive effects on your health.
What are glabrous berries?
Flowers are followed by spherical, pea-sized, multi-seeded berries that are orbicular or ovoid-ellipsoid shaped. They are of varying sizes (0.7-1.2 cm) and shapes. The glabrous berry has rounded (vase like) shape with a swollen central part and remnants of persistent 4-5 partite calyx at the outer part. Fruits are initially pale green, then turn deep red and finally become dark indigo when fully mature. When fresh they are soft and aromatic. Beneath the blackish-blue skin the flesh is reddish-purple and is filled with small kidney-shaped seeds. The taste is a cross between Juniper and rosemary, with an initial aroma of pine and eucalyptus. The fresh berries have a somewhat bitter and tannic after-taste.
What is the color of the axillary white flowers?
Axillary white flowers occur on slender peduncles; medium sized about 2 cm in diam., stiff having yellow anthers. The petals are pure white with glands and somewhat tomentose margin covered with fine hairs. They give off a sweet fragrant smell. Flowering normally takes place from July to august.
What is a wax myrtle tree?
Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) trees and shrubs, native to South Carolina, grow best in hardiness zones 7b through 11. Trees grow up to 20 feet high and sprout green leaves that are nearly 3 inches long. Flowers appear on female plants in early spring; berries appear by late fall through the winter. The gray-white berries, about 1/8 inch wide, grow in clusters and have a heavy coat of wax. Wax myrtle berries are used in candle-making. Wax myrtle cultivars include Georgia Gem and Fairfax. The trees are sensitive to cold and leaves may turn brown and drop, but root and stem systems are not damaged. The California wax myrtle (Morella californica) grows mainly in USDA zone 9.
How big do crape myrtles get?
Crape myrtles are excellent for use in landscaping and gardens. They range from dwarf-size, about 18 inches, to mature trees that grow up to 40 feet tall.
What zone do myrtles grow in?
Myrtle trees and shrubs love hot weather. They mostly grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, but some varieties tolerate zone 6 too. Typically grown in landscapes and gardens, myrtles are evergreen-like plants that produce brightly colored flowers in reds, pinks, whites and purples.
How tall do dwarf myrtles get?
Similar to their full-sized counterparts, dwarf myrtles enjoy hot weather, full sunlight and dry soil, but they grow to only 3 feet tall. The dwarf wax myrtle, for example, is dioecious. Its female portions produce bluish-gray berries. As they age, the berries create seedpods.
What is the best zone for wax myrtle?
Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) trees and shrubs, native to South Carolina, grow best in hardiness zones 7b through 11. Trees grow up to 20 feet high and sprout green leaves that are nearly 3 inches long. Flowers appear on female plants in early spring; berries appear by late fall through the winter. The gray-white berries, about 1/8 inch wide, grow in clusters and have a heavy coat of wax. Wax myrtle berries are used in candle-making. Wax myrtle cultivars include Georgia Gem and Fairfax. The trees are sensitive to cold and leaves may turn brown and drop, but root and stem systems are not damaged. The California wax myrtle (Morella californica) grows mainly in USDA zone 9.
When do sand myrtles bloom?
Sand myrtles are small evergreens that grow from 1 to 3 feet high. Their white flowers bloom in May and June. Many varieties of sand myrtles grow in zones 6 through 9. However, in zone 6, some myrtle varieties may die off during the winter. When potted or grown indoors, the plants are hardy in warmer climates.
Do sand myrtles tolerate drought?
Sand myrtles thrive in moist peat sand and acid soil but they do not tolerate drought. References. U.S. Department of Agriculture: California Wax Myrtle. University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Downy Myrtle.
What is myrtle used for?
Myrtle is used on the skin for warts and in the mouth for canker sores and thrush. Myrtle is used in the vagina for the sexually transmitted infection, human papillomavirus (HPV).
Is it safe to take berry of myrtle leaf?
There isn't enough information to know if taking the leaf, branch, or berry of myrtle by mouth is safe.
Is myrtle leaf extract safe?
Side Effects. Diluted myrtle leaf extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when used on the skin or when used in the vagina. Irritation and dryness are possible. The oil of myrtle is UNSAFE when taken by mouth. It contains a chemical that can cause low blood pressure, blood circulation disorders, and other problems.
Does myrtle syrup help with menstrual bleeding?
Early research shows that taking myrtle fruit syrup during menstruation helps to reduce the amount of blood lost in women with heavy periods .
Is myrtle oil safe for children?
Children: Myrtle is UNSAFE for children. Even simple facial contact with the oil can cause breathing problems and death in infants and small children.
Does myrtle leaf help with heartburn?
Canker sores. Early research shows that applying a paste with myrtle leaf extract helps canker sores to heal faster. Persistent heartburn. Early research shows that taking myrtle berry extract works as well as a medication called omeprazole for improving symptoms of heartburn.
Why is the myrtle sacred?
In Greek mythology and ritual the myrtle was sacred to the goddesses Aphrodite and also Demeter: Artemidorus asserts that in interpreting dreams "a myrtle garland signifies the same as an olive garland, except that it is especially auspicious for farmers because of Demeter and for women because of Aphrodite. For the plant is sacred to both goddesses." Pausanias explains that one of the Graces in the sanctuary at Elis holds a myrtle branch because "the rose and the myrtle are sacred to Aphrodite and connected with the story of Adonis, while the Graces are of all deities the nearest related to Aphrodite." Myrtle is the garland of Iacchus, according to Aristophanes, and of the victors at the Theban Iolaea, held in honour of the Theban hero Iolaus.
When were myrtles brought out?
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries myrtles in cases, pots and tubs were brought out to summer in the garden and wintered with other tender greens in an orangery. Fairchild, The City Gardener (1722) notes their temporary use, rented from a nurseryman annually to fill an empty fireplace in the warm months.
What is the name of the liqueur made from berries?
Myrtus communis is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called Mirto by macerating it in alcohol. Mirto is one of the most typical drinks of Sardinia and comes in two varieties: mirto rosso (red) produced by macerating the berries, and mirto bianco (white) produced from the less common yellow berries and sometimes the leaves.
What is the name of the essential oil that Hippocrates used to treat fever?
Myrtle ( Myrtus communis) essential oil in a clear glass vial. Myrtle, along with willow tree bark, occupies a prominent place in the writings of Hippocrates, Pliny, Dioscorides, Galen, and the Arabian writers. It has been prescribed for fever and pain by ancient physicians since at least 2,500 BC in Sumer .
When was Myrtus communis introduced to England?
In England it was reintroduced in the 16th century, traditionally with the return from Spain in 1585 of Sir Walter Raleigh, who also brought with him the first orange trees seen in England. Myrtus communis will have needed similar protection from winter cold and wet. Alice Coats notes an earlier testimony: in 1562 Queen Elizabeth I 's great minister Lord Burghley wrote to Mr Windebank in Paris to ask him for a lemon, a pomegranate and a myrtle, with instructions for their culture—which suggests that the myrtle, like the others, was not yet familiar.
What are myrtle sprigs used for in pork?
Many Mediterranean pork dishes include myrtle berries, and roasted piglet is often stuffed with myrtle sprigs in the belly cavity, to impart an aromatic flavour to the meat. The berries, whole or ground, have been used as a pepper substitute.
What is the name of the plant that Linnaeus described as a flowering plant?
Myrtus, with the common name myrtle , is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753.
