Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-draining soil. It is drought resistant, tolerant to moderate frost and will survive temperatures below 10 degrees F and useful in USDA Zones 8-10. The foliage has a pleasant odor when it is crushed and the fruit is edible, though not really that tasty. The fruit, flowers and leaves can all be used to flavor food and the wood used to flavor meat on the barbecue. Ancient civilizations also used the leaves for medicinal and culinary purposes.

Myrtus communis is native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent. The name for the genus is from the old Greek name Genus name 'myrtos' that was used to describe the plant. The specific epithet means "common". This plant and its compact variety Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina 'Compacta' won the coveted Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993. We grew this plant on and off since 1983. It was introduced in England during the 16th century where it is a symbol of love and it is still used in wedding bouquets for this reason. It was introduced into California by William Walker at his Golden Gate Nursery in San Francisco in 1858 and grew it off and on by vegetative propagation from selected plants since 1982. 

The information displayed on this page about Myrtus communis is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.