Myrtus communis


Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to southern Europe, north Africa, western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent, and also cultivated.
It is one of the four species used by Jews in their religious rituals on the festival of Sukkot.
For uses, see Myrtus.

Description

The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to tall. The leaves are long, with a fragrant essential oil.
The flowers are white or tinged with pink, with five petals and many stamens that protrude from the flower. The fruit is a berry, blue-black when ripe.
This species, and the more compact M. communis subsp. tarentina
have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.