Family Myrtaceae
Originating from Southern Europe

• Compact, low and rounded mounds of evergreen aromatic tiny leaves
• Beautiful red flushed rounded buds open to pure white, profuse scented flowers
• Easy to grow in a sheltered spot, perfect for pots, in full sun.

One of Urban Jungles’ favourite small shrubs, it has it all; an invaluable architectural shape, dark and lustrous glossy evergreen, aromatic leaves, scented flowers borne over a long period, emerging as lovely globe-shaped red/pink buds, followed by dusky purple berries. There are few plants that ‘pay the rent’ like Myrtles, with all their qualities, they justify their inclusion in gardens, becoming essential once you’ve seen for yourself. 

This outstanding low shrub forms mounds of extremely compact tiny dark green glossy leaves, borne on cinnamon-coloured branches, forming perfect architectural soft shapes. All parts of the plant are aromatic, as are all of the myrtles, being famed for their healing and therapeutic qualities and ancient spiritual significance. The genus’ name is derived from the Greek word ‘myrtos’, the herb of love, and is associated with their goddess Aphrodite. The oils contained in the foliage and shoots of the plant are distilled to obtain a wide range of balms, perfumes and oils, most famously, Myrrh mentioned in the bible. 

Its flowers are exquisitely formed of rounded petals, widely opening around a filamentous group of upwardly curving, golden pollen tipped stamens, making an irresistible lure for pollinators. Their beautiful scent wafts for some distance with a rich spicy honey aroma, and such is their profusion – nearly obscuring the leaves, that they can fill the air of a whole garden on a warm summer afternoon. Regularly used in wedding bouquets, they symbolise paradise in many cultures and we can see why. The purity of their white colour stands out perfectly against the dark foliage, preceded by their red tinted buds in the form of a perfect glossy globe shape, nestling amongst the foliage. To complete this amazing species long season of display the flowers are followed by dull purple edible fruits, covered in a white powdery deposit at first, giving them a dusky hue, maturing to black.    

Used in contemporary style gardens, the Small-leaved Myrtle makes a perfect punctuation plant, used as a repeated dark green structural globe-shaped ‘backbone’, whether contrasting with looser, airy-looking species or setting off spiky upright ones. They also have the presence to stand on their own in planters, making a sleek minimalist complement to steel, corten or rendered ornamental pots and raised beds. Their tight shape can underpin the lax and open shapes of Leptospermum ‘Red Damask’, Genista aetnensis or Dasylirion quadrangulatum, and their rounded silhouette perfectly contrasts with Agave salmiana ‘Ferox’, Yucca faxoniana and Yucca baccata.

In Mediterranean gardens Myrtus communis subsp. tarentia ‘Microphylla’ fits perfectly with compositions of other soft shaped shrubs such as Cistus x lenis ‘Grayswood Pink’, Cistus x purpureus, and Choisya Greenfingers, and contrasts with the upright architectural forms of Cordyline ‘Charlie Boy’, Cupressus sempervirens ‘Totem Pole’, or Eucalyptus pulchera ‘Baby Blue’. It’s floriferous display makes it useful as an evergreen accent in herbaceous borders and other traditional or formal-style gardens, and its robust evergreen foliage is tolerant of maritime conditions, making it the perfect coastal, gravel-style garden plant and further underlining the precious species adaptability.

An easy-to-grow species that is tolerant of dry conditions and poor soil once established, it performs best in a sheltered position, in most soil types, and will grow in light shade but its best, densest foliage and floral displays are achieved in full sun. 

Height and spread after 15 years 1m x 1m.