Wax Myrtle | The Salt Marsh

The wax myrtle is an aromatic evergreen shrub. Myrtle Beach is
named for this plant, which originally grew from the extensive pine flatwoods all the way out to the salt shrub thicket behind the dunes. During colonial days, the small berries were collected and boiled down until they released their wax. This wax was skimmed off the pots and used to make candles that were very fragrant and greenish in color. Other parts of the plant, including the bark from the roots, were used to make a tea, and, in strong doses, an emetic (induces vomiting). When dried and pulverized, the root bark was
also used as an ingredient in composition powder to treat colds.