The Planting Distance From a Fence for Wax Myrtles

Identification

• Native to North America, the sometimes weedy wax myrtle is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b through 11. Also referred to as the southern bayberry, the wax myrtle has 4-inch long, fragrant, evergreen leaves and ½-inch wide, round, blue berries in fall. These berries often attract wildlife. Wax myrtles are sensitive to cold, and sometimes may exhibit leaf browning or defoliation even when stem tissue withstands lower temperatures.

Planting Next to a Fence

• Although hedge plants should be space roughly ½ to 1/3 of their eventual width apart from one another, the same does not hold true for planting next to a fence. When planted next to each other, plants will be able to extend their branches into their neighbors’ space, but fences -- especially solid ones, like wood planks -- would not allow shrubs to do that. Because that is the case, it is best to allow shrubs the room they need by planting them at least half the distance of their eventual spread away from the fence.

Creating a Hedge

• Instead of planting next to a fence, you also plant can wax myrtle as a fence in its own right. Though it will not keep animals in or out, the way a fence will, it can provide a great deal of privacy. If you wish, plant wax myrtles as far apart as their eventual spread, usually between 20 and 25 feet, but a better guarantee of getting a nice, thick hedge is to plant them at distances of about half that. Planting them about 10 feet apart will ensure a thick hedge in only a few years.

Growth and Size

• One of wax myrtle’s biggest selling points is its rapid growth rate, sometimes adding as much as 5 feet to its height and width in a single growing season. Because of this, it is a popular plant for growing as a hedge or screen, or along a fence line where it will fill in unattractive bare areas quickly with evergreen foliage. The wax myrtle species plant can grow to between 15 and 25 feet tall, though more compact cultivars, such as “Fairfax,” grow to only 4 or 5 feet. “Georgia Gem” is a ground cover that grows to between 12 and 18 inches.