Murtus communis

Wondering if somebody is growing this plant in zone between 7 and 8 and what is experience. Should i need to protect it in winter? Plant against wall? How fast it's growing?

Is murtus what we call Myrtus Communis (common myrtle)? If so it grows very well here. I see it is listed as frost hardy, but I have two plants (cuttings from my neighbours 2 mtr. shrub) and all three have done very well in an unsheltered setting (we get heavy gale force winds!). In the summer they are absolutely covered in small white, five petalled blossom that look like white versions of st. john's wort (also grows extremely well here!) Always Bee busy.

There is a lovely tale about Myrtle. It is associated with fertility and a happy home. Bunches of it were used to trim the hem of the bride's gown (I think this is 18thC and earlier), and the cuttings were all then given to the bride's maids. The bride's maids rooted the cuttings, planting the small plants outside the kitchen door of the bride. This insured daughters, whose dresses were then trimmed with cuttings from the shrub. I have no idea what happened if the bride's maid was not very good at rearing cuttings - my guess is your choose your Maid of Honour with care.

Hence, the passionate shepherd to his love, something along the lines of:

" ... and i will make thee beds of roses
and a thousand fragrant posies!
a cap of flowers, and a kirtle
embroidered all with leaves of myrtle ..."

By Christopher Marlow i think, though i'm almost sure i'm spelling his name wrong. :)

Right, this one. "one of the favourite plants of the ancients for the goddess of Lone", but everywhere i see that it's tendy, zone 8-9.
Maybe i'll try and see.

Laurie, how fast it grows? Did you take hardwood cuttings or softwood?

I have had a smaller variety of the Myrtus, the Tarrentina, overwinter fine for the last 2 years. It is in a warmer, protected spot near the house.

My neighbours has been in for more than 10 years, and is about 2 x 2 mtrs. Not fast. Does tolerate pruning well. Soft wood cuttings is what she does. I like Dan Hinkley's comment in the Explorer's garden, always try to push the boundaries, grow something that shouldn't work. So try planting at the kitchen door, and prepare to decorate daughter's/granddaughter's/goddaughter's skirts!

Ahhhh, Estreya, don't ya' just love a spot of culture - doesn't Kit Marlowe have an E? I'm never sure either. (And from the other thread, Estreya, Prosecco is italian champagne - lovely. Somehow seems lighter hearted, a bit flirtier than the French, which I am also rather partial too).

Now, to look up Tarrentina - fabulous name.

This message was edited Dec 10, 2006 11:18 PM

I was looking at Tarentina before (read that some of them are reliable frost resistant), maybe will be better then "Compacta" that i was checking before.

Mauryhillfarm, how fast it's growing?

I like to push the boundaries, but i don't like to lose "my kids" to severe weather.

I started out with a plant in a 4 inch pot, so it was pretty small to begin with. It has about doubled in size in 2 years. I did prune some to help it bush out a little more. So I'd say not fast growth, but steady enough. Mine is frost hardy, had snow on it a couple weeks ago and came through great. The leaves are much smaller (quarter inch) than another type of myrtle I saw at the nursery last summer.