odorless bayberry Myricaceae Morella inodora (Bartram) Small symbol: MOIN Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, simple, lacking a fragrant, spatulate, obovate or ovate in shape with a tapered base, 3 inches long, 3/4 inch wide, often toothed near the tip but may be entire, leaf edges often rolled under, dark green and waxy-shiny above, bright green and pubescent below, yellow resin dots on both surfaces. Flower: Species is dioecious; both male and female flowers are small (1/2 inch), appearing as catkins in the leaf axils in spring, before the leaves. Fruit: Round, warty, waxy drupes, 1/4 inch in diameter, black to dark brown, borne on long stalks, usually solitary. Twig: Medium texture, green to reddish brown, covered in downy pubescence, wedge-shaped buds, round to shield-shaped leaf scar. Bark: Thin and smooth, gray-brown to almost white. Form: An upright shrub to 20 feet. Looks like: waxmyrtle - northern bayberry Additional Range Information: Morella inodora is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting odorless bayberry. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson