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Taxon  Report  
Morella californica  (Cham. & Schltdl.) Wilbur
California wax myrtle
Morella californica is a tree or shrub that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
also called Myrica californica
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Morella
Family: Myricaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Habitat: coastal

Communities: Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Redwood Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
JEF + PLANTSMyrica californica
Information about  Morella californica from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (MOCA6)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[nativeplantspnw.com] Alternate Name, Etymology, Common Names: The Pacific Wax Myrtle is still mostly known in the trade as Myrica californica. Morella is probably derived from “Morus,” the Latin name for mulberry, giving it a literal meaning of: “little mulberry.” It is also known as California Wax Myrtle, California Myrtle, or Pacific- or California Bayberry. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 01/20/2025).