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Myrica gale 'Lowboy'
NativeStar® Lowboy Sweet Gale
- » Great cover and nesting for native birds
- » Easy to grow and thrives in wet conditions
- » Foliage fragrant when crushed
- » Hang the sweet foliage to repel insects
- » Tolerates brackish and saltmarsh conditions
- Category:Shrub
- Breeder:American Beauties Native Plants
- Hardiness Zone:2-7
- Height:2-3 ft
- Spread:2-3 ft
- Bloom Color: Green Shades
- Foliage Color: Green Shades
This low growing rounded shrub features narrow, fragrant green leaves whorled on stems that create a great cover for native birds. Lowboy is a male Sweet Gale with showy catkins in the spring. It thrives in wet soil conditions where few others can while creating an attractive mass planting.
Foliage Color
| • | Green |
Programs
| • | American Beauties Native Plants® |
Season of Interest (Flowering)
| • | Spring |
Habit
| • | Compact |
Soil Moisture
| • | Wet Soil/Wetlands |
Growing & Maintenance Tips for Myrica gale 'Lowboy'
Myrica gale thrives in wet, acidic soils with a pH between 4 and 6, making it an ideal choice for boggy areas, pond margins, or any consistently waterlogged spot in the garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade and is remarkably tolerant of poor, peaty, or sandy soils, as long as moisture levels remain high. Unlike many shrubs, it actually fixes nitrogen from the air, so there is no need for fertilizing. Pruning is generally minimal, but if you want to tidy the plant or encourage bushier growth, cut back lightly in early spring before new growth begins, removing any dead or crossing stems.