Have I shown you Bayberry before?  I think I have, but I love it, so I'm showing you again.  Myrica cerifera, also called Wax Myrtle.  It doesn't really grow well in the mountains, but it is all over the place here near the coast.  Typically it grows near wetlands, which is where I took this picture.  I read that the roots can withstand burning, regenerating the plant even after the tops have been burned to the ground.  I think that's pretty interesting.

 

Of course, the waxy blue-gray berries are used in the making of bayberry candles.  It's my favorite Christmas scent.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!