BAYBERRY (Myrica cerifera)

A member of the Myricacae family, bayberry is a native perennial evergreen shrub also known as candle-berry or wax myrtle. Bayberry grows easily in the U.S. and is often found along streams and near swamps and marshes in full sun. Although ideal conditions would be moist peaty soil, bayberry tolerates poor sandy soils and salty ocean winds; thickets of bayberry are found readily along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Florida. Depending on the environment, bayberry bushes can be anywhere from three to thirty feet high. Bayberry has grayish aromatic bark and fragrant shiny lanceolate leaves with resinous dots on both sides. Fruits are small, round and waxy.

Early American colonists used the shrub to make candles; fortunately, they found bayberry growing readily throughout the east, as it takes about four pounds of berries to yield one pound of wax. There are no records indicating that these early settlers used bayberry medicinally.

In the south, Choctaw Indians boiled the leaves and drank the decoction to treat fevers. Later, according to texts in the 1700s, Louisiana settlers drank bayberry wax in hot water as a cure for violent dysentery.

In the early 19th century, a New England herbalist by the name of Samuel Thompson popularized bayberry by recommending it as a remedy for colds and flu, fever, dysentery, and other infectious diseases. He felt it was second only to red pepper in producing "heat" within the body. Dr. Thompson’s "recipes" using bayberry tinctures, infusions and preparations for various ailments can be found in history books of the time, including The Physiomedical Dispensitory by William Cook, M.D., 1869.

The bark of the root was the most valued medical portion. Analysis of the bark shows that it contains a chemical called myricitrin, which is believed to act as an antibiotic, fighting a broad range of bacteria and protozoa. Perhaps this, as well as the strongly astringent tannins within the root bark, contributed to its usefulness in treating dysentery. Myricitrin is also believed to reduce fever, accounting for its use by the Choctaw for this purpose. Other active compounds include triterpines such as taraxerol, taraxerone, myricadiol, as well as flavonoids, tannins, phenols, resins and gums.
After the Civil War, it is recorded that bayberry was prescribed topically for bleeding gums and internally for dysentery, menstrual problems, scarlet fever, and even typhoid. Eventually, however, Thompson’s herbalism lost favor and other preparations, ingredients and remedies were recommended by the physicians of the time.

Varro Tyler, the well-known pharmacognosist, in his book The Honest Herbal, cites studies in the 1970s in which scientists inject bark extracts into rats and, within two years, the rats had developed malignant tumors. He concluded that there was reason for concern for the safety of these chemicals and, since there are other drugs and methods for treating fever and dysentery, he could not recommend its use.

On-line information indicates that present-day herbalists use bayberry for a variety of conditions. Bayberry tea is recommended as a wash for spongy and bleeding gums and to be taken internally for jaundice, canker sores, stagnant circulation, and diarrhea; when combined with yarrow, catnip, sage and peppermint, it is "unexcelled for colds".

Due to concern about the tannins’ effect on cancer cells, bayberry is not recommended for anyone with a history of cancer. Because bayberry changes the way the body uses sodium and potassium, it should not be used by anyone with kidney disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure, without a physician’s approval. It is not recommended for children under two or for pregnant or nursing women. As always, do your research before using herbal preparations.

Dried twigs are fragrant and can be used in linen chests, cupboards and closets to deter moths and flies. And bayberry candles are a must, especially this time of year.…

Herb of the Month Index | Herb Society HomepagePrairienet Homepage

Last updated by rauchfus@uiuc.edu