Myrtle

We are all surely familiar with the old limerick:


                             There was a young woman called Myrtle,
                             Who had an affair with a turtle;
                             By the cold light of dawn
                             She gave birth to a prawn,
                             Thus proving that Myrtle was fert'le.


But why did it come to mind today as a strolled round our back garden?


Of course it was down to the fact that our Myrtle bush, Myrtus communis is in full flower and presents a lovely sight. It is reasonably hardy (it was cultivated in Britain during the 16th century) and I am surprised that it is not seen more often, especially as it is a compact shrub which sits easily in a  tub and is generally well suited to today's smaller gardens. It is also much visited by bees. In all it surely deserves the Award of Merit granted on it by the R.H.S. 1972.

Our myrtle is confined to a tub. Stefen Hill, Daventry.

5 August, 2020

It gives its name to the Myrtaceae, a large family which, slightly surprisingly, includes the mighty Eucalyptus genus.

The flowers are visited by bees and the foliage is fragrant.

Of course, when the flowers of Eucalyptus are examined the relationship becomes a little clearer. In both genera the stamens are very long, creating a pom-pom effect. Then there are the leaves: those of myrtle are pleasantly fragrant; those of eucalyptus are also pungently scented but often with the 'cough medicine' smell with which we are all familiar. The oil from myrtle leaves is known as Eau d'Anges and is sometimes used in perfumery.





Eucalyptus globosus shares with myrtle long stamens, giving the flowers a

fluffy appearance.

There are in fact many species of myrtle and Hilliers list nine species in their invaluable, 560 page manual (Anon, 1974). At least one, Myrtus chekan, aka Luma chequen, is rather intriguing. It hails from Chile and would appear to be hardy. It certainly appears to be attractive, judging from photographs.

Myrtus chekan is apparently hardy.

Perhaps I should give a mention to the edible nature of myrtle berries. They are described as 'sweet, with juniper and rosemary-like flavour' but as I have tasted neither juniper nor rosemary, that is not helpful to me.  I have often noticed myrtle jam for sale in Greece and Italy and maybe I should have taken the plunge and bought some.




But perhaps the fact that it is often blended with figs should tell us something.

Reference                  


Anon, (1974 edition)  Hilliers' Manual of Trees and Shrubs  David and Charles, Newton Abbot