Myrica nagi

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a sweet, pleasantly acidic flavour and measures about 13mm in diameter. It contains approximately 12.6% sugar, 1% protein, and 0.4% ash, and is low in vitamin C at around 4.1mg per 100ml. The fruit does not store well, remaining in good condition for only 2–3 days after picking. Mature trees can yield up to 25kg of fruit per year, though yields of around 15.5kg are more typical.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in the Himalayas between 1,300-2,100 m above sea level.

Asia, Bangladesh, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia,

How to Identify

A tall spreading evergreen tree. It grows 12-15 m high. Trees are separately male and female. The leaves are crowded towards the ends of branches. They are sword shaped and 9 cm long by 3 cm wide. They are pale green underneath. The flowers are made up of 25 in a catkin. The fruit are round and fleshy. They are red.

How to Grow

Prefers a moist soil. Grows well in an open position in a well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Thrives in any ordinary garden soil. Prefers a lime-free loamy or peaty soil. We are not sure how hardy this plant will be in Britain, it is unlikely to succeed outside the very mildest areas of the country. There is also some confusion between this species and M. rubra, it is possible that they are the same. The fruit is sold in local markets in the Himalayas. It ripens over a fairly long period, so is not suitable for commercial cultivation. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Many species in this genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame, barely covered and kept moist. Stored seed germinates more freely after 3 months of cold stratification followed by sowing in a cold frame. Germination is usually good. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in the cold frame through the first winter, then plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5–8cm with a heel, can be taken in July or August and potted up to overwinter in a cold frame, with a fair to good success rate. Cuttings of mature wood taken in November or December in a frame also work. Other methods include layering in spring, and division of suckers during the dormant season, planting directly into permanent positions.

Medicinal Uses

The bark is antirheumatic, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, ophthalmic, and stimulant. It has proved useful in treating fevers, asthma, and coughs. The juice is applied externally to relieve rheumatism and, when mixed with ginger, serves as a rubefacient in the treatment of cholera. Taken internally, the bark juice addresses catarrh and headaches, and is also applied to cuts and wounds. A bark decoction is used for fevers, asthma, and diarrhoea; when boiled down to a gelatinous mass, it is applied as a poultice on sprains. Combined with the bark of Quercus lanata, it forms a decoction used in treating dysentery. The juice of the unripe fruit is used as an anthelmintic.

Other Uses

A wax coating on the fruit is extracted by scalding the fruit with boiling water and immersing it briefly, allowing the wax to float to the surface and be skimmed off. The fruit is then boiled again to extract wax from the pulp, which is once more skimmed off and strained through muslin. This wax can be used to make aromatic candles that are slightly brittle but less greasy than conventional candles in warm weather. They are mildly aromatic and do not smoke when extinguished, making them more pleasant than wax or tallow candles. The wax is also used in soapmaking. A yellow dye is obtained from the bark, and the plant is a source of tannin — the bark is said to contain 60–80% tannin. The wood is hard and close-grained, making it a good fuel; it is used mainly for this purpose, though it is sometimes made into construction poles. This species is also a nitrogen fixer.

An evergreen tree reaching 12 m tall, remaining leafed year-round. Dioecious requiring both male and female plants for seed production. Wind-pollinated, not self-fertile. Fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring good drainage, mildly acidic and neutral pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist soil. Tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Production

A tree can yield 16 kg of fruit. Fruit can only be stored for 2-3 days.

Other Information

It is an attractive tasty fruit.

Notes

An unresolved name in The Plant List. Possibly synonym of Myrica esculenta.

More from Myricaceae

Comptonia peregrina

Sweet fern, Meadow Fern

Comptonia peregrina asplenifolia - (L.)Fernald.

Sweet Fern

Melaleuca leucadendra - (L.) L.

Paperbark, Weeping Paperbark

Morella cordifolia

Myrica, Wax berry, Candle berry

Morella holdridgeana

Morella humilis

Shinet