Plant problems

Why Are My Myrtle Leaves Curling?

Q: What is myrtle's significance in UK wedding traditions?

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) has a long association with UK royal weddings and, by extension, with British wedding traditions more broadly. The tradition of including a sprig of myrtle in royal wedding bouquets is traced to Queen Victoria, who received a sprig of myrtle as part of a bouquet from her soon-to-be grandmother-in-law, Princess Lieven, when visiting Germany with Prince Albert before their wedding in 1840; a cutting from this German myrtle was planted at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, and this plant (or descendants of it) has provided myrtle sprigs for subsequent royal wedding bouquets. The tradition has continued through most major UK royal weddings including those of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) in 1947, Princess Anne in 1973, Princess Diana in 1981, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton in 2011, and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle in 2018. The wider convention of including myrtle in wedding bouquets for luck, love, and happiness in marriage spread from royal to general UK society throughout the Victorian era; myrtle has been associated with love and marriage since ancient Greece and Rome (it was sacred to Aphrodite/Venus). The plant's aromatic fragrance and evergreen nature made it a natural choice for floral symbolism related to constancy and love in marriage.

Q: How do I grow myrtle outdoors in the UK?

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) can be grown outdoors in the UK in sheltered, sunny positions in southern England (south of a line from approximately Bristol to the Wash), coastal Wales, and maritime parts of western Scotland and Ireland, where the climate is mild enough to sustain the plant through most winters. The key requirements are: very well-drained soil (myrtle will not tolerate waterlogged or poorly draining soil, even for short periods in winter; add substantial grit or coarse gravel to clay soils, or grow on a raised mound or bank); full sun; and shelter from cold east and north-east winds. A south or west-facing wall provides ideal conditions: reflected warmth from the wall extends the growing season and raises the effective temperature around the plant in winter; the wall structure also provides shelter from east winds. Hardy to about -8 to -10°C in ideal, perfectly draining conditions; in wet UK conditions, myrtle is more likely to survive at -5°C. In pots and containers, myrtle is excellent and can be brought indoors or into a cool greenhouse in winter in colder areas; use a well-draining, loam-based compost with extra grit and water carefully in winter. Myrtle can be clipped to a formal shape and grown as a low hedge or topiary piece; the compact form Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina has smaller leaves and is more compact and slightly hardier than the species.

Q: Can I use myrtle in cooking?

Yes. All parts of myrtle (Myrtus communis) are aromatic and edible: the leaves, flowers, and berries are used in cooking traditions across the Mediterranean region, particularly in Sardinian and southern Italian cuisine. The leaves are used like bay leaves to flavour slow-cooked meats, particularly pork, lamb, and game (a whole roasted Sardinian pig on a bed of myrtle branches is a traditional festive preparation); the leaves are placed under or around the meat to infuse their fragrance during cooking, then removed before eating. The dried berries (dark blue-black, ripening in autumn) are used as a spice similar to juniper berries; they have a complex, fragrant, slightly sweet flavour and are particularly used with game and dark meats. In Sardinia, myrtle berries are infused in alcohol to make mirto, a traditional liqueur available in both red (mirto rosso, from the dark berries) and white (mirto bianco, from the flowers and unripe green berries) forms; it is one of Sardinia's most famous products. UK gardeners with an established outdoor myrtle can use a few leaves fresh from the plant as a bay leaf substitute in soups, stews, and roasts; the flavour is more complex and aromatic than bay, with floral and slightly camphor-like notes. Harvest berries in October when they are fully ripe and dark blue-black; they can be used fresh or dried.

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is an aromatic, evergreen Mediterranean shrub with glossy, pointed leaves, fluffy white summer flowers, and dark blue-black berries; deeply embedded in UK culture through its role in royal wedding bouquets since Queen Victoria. In the UK it grows outdoors in sheltered, sunny, well-drained positions in the south and west; in colder areas it thrives in containers brought inside for winter. The small, glossy leaves curl when winter cold wind desiccates them or when the roots dry out or waterlog.

Cold wind damage

Cold, desiccating east or north-east winds are the most common cause of leaf damage on outdoor-grown myrtle in the UK. The small, glossy leaves lose moisture faster than the roots can replace it when cold winds blow and temperatures are close to freezing; the leaf tips and margins turn brown and curl inward. Damage is most visible in late winter (February to March) after a prolonged cold and windy spell. The plant typically recovers in spring when new growth begins; the damaged leaves are replaced by fresh new growth.

What to do

Grow myrtle against a south or west-facing wall that provides shelter from east winds; this is the most effective long-term solution. Protect newly planted or container-grown myrtle from cold winds with a windbreak of fleece or windbreak netting in the first few winters. Do not prune cold-damaged shoots until new growth begins in spring; the dead material may protect the live tissue below from further cold. Once new growth is visible, prune dead or damaged wood back to healthy tissue.

Drought stress

In containers or in light, free-draining soils in summer, myrtle can suffer drought stress; the small leaves curl inward and develop brown tips as moisture demand exceeds supply. Myrtle from the seasonally dry Mediterranean is adapted to summer drought in the ground, but in a UK container the restricted root volume dries out faster than in the open ground. Container-grown myrtle may need watering every 2 to 3 days in warm summer weather; the compost should feel moist but not wet when checked to 5 cm depth.

What to do

Check container moisture regularly; water when the top 5 cm of compost is dry. Apply a mulch of composted bark or gravel around the base of ground-planted myrtle to reduce evaporation. Newly planted myrtle needs watering through the first two summers until established. In containers, move the plant to a shadier position during extended hot spells to reduce evaporation stress.

Waterlogging

Waterlogging is the most serious threat to myrtle in the UK; the plant has no tolerance for roots standing in wet soil or compost, particularly in winter when root activity is low and oxygen demand is reduced. In waterlogged conditions, root rot develops rapidly and the whole plant can collapse within a few weeks. The first signs are yellowing leaves, then leaf curl and drop; the roots are brown and mushy rather than firm and white. Myrtle in containers is at risk if the pot sits in a saucer of water or if the drainage holes are blocked.

What to do

Ensure excellent drainage at planting; add substantial grit or coarse gravel to the planting hole in clay soils, or plant on a raised mound or bank. Use loam-based compost with extra grit in containers; ensure drainage holes are clear and do not allow the pot to sit in standing water. Reduce watering to a minimum in winter; myrtle requires very little water in cool conditions. If root rot is confirmed, remove mushy roots, repot in fresh, very well-draining compost, and water sparingly until new growth appears.

Scale insects

Soft scale (Coccus hesperidum) and other scale species can infest myrtle growing in sheltered conditions: against a warm south wall, in a conservatory, or in a cool greenhouse in winter. The flat, waxy scales cluster on the stems and petioles; heavily infested plants produce honeydew and sooty mould, and the leaves yellow and curl. Myrtle in open garden conditions is rarely affected by scale; the problem mainly occurs in protected environments.

What to do

Scrub scale off stems with a soft brush and insecticidal soap. Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray to all plant surfaces, repeating every 10 days. Introduce Metaphycus helvolus for biological control of soft scale in conservatory conditions. Inspect stems and petioles monthly; remove localised outbreaks before they spread.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my myrtle leaves curling?

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) leaves curl most commonly in the UK because of cold east wind damage (leaf tips and margins brown and curl after winter cold spells), drought stress (leaves curl inward in dry summer conditions, especially in containers), or waterlogging (the most serious threat; causes rapid root rot and whole-plant collapse). Scale insects can cause leaf curl in sheltered or conservatory conditions.

What is myrtle's significance in UK wedding traditions?

Myrtle has been included in UK royal wedding bouquets since Queen Victoria received a German myrtle sprig before her 1840 wedding; a cutting was planted at Osborne House and descendants have provided myrtle for subsequent royal bouquets. The tradition spread to general UK weddings during the Victorian era; myrtle symbolises love, constancy, and happiness in marriage in ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions.

How do I grow myrtle outdoors in the UK?

Plant in very well-drained soil against a sheltered south or west-facing wall in southern England, coastal Wales, or western Ireland; hardy to about -8°C in ideal drainage. Full sun. Tolerates clipping to a formal shape. The compact form Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina is slightly hardier and more compact. In colder areas, grow in containers and bring inside or into a cool greenhouse for winter.

Can I use myrtle in cooking?

Yes. Myrtle leaves are used like bay leaves to flavour pork, lamb, and game in Sardinian and southern Italian cooking; the leaves are placed around the meat during slow cooking. The dark berries are used as a spice similar to juniper. In Sardinia, myrtle berries are infused in alcohol to make mirto liqueur (red and white forms). UK gardeners with outdoor myrtle can use the leaves as a more aromatic, floral bay substitute in soups, stews, and roasts.