Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica)
Ships bare root Native
Mature plant shown. Yours ships dormant and bare root.

What arrives

1 dormant bare-root plant, about 1–2 ft tall

  • No leaves, no pot, no soil. Roots packed moist.
  • Ships in your zone's planting window.
  • Leafs out about 4–8 weeks after planting.

Native shrub

Northern Bayberry

Morella pensylvanica

  • Ships 1–2 ft tall
  • 1 plant, bare root
  • Zones 3–7
  • Grows 5–10 ft
$11.95Was $12.95Save 7%
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The quick answer

Northern bayberry is a tough native shrub for USDA zones 3-7 that grows 5-10 ft tall and wide in full sun to part shade. It is planted for aromatic leaves, salt and poor-soil tolerance, and waxy gray berries that feed winter birds. Plants are male or female, so plant several to get berries on the females.

When it ships to you

Zone schedule

How many?

This plant needs a partner. Bayberry plants are either male or female and only females make the waxy berries, so plant a group of several seedlings (about one male per five plants) to get berries.

Expert recommendedPollination partners we sell

  • Plant 2 Northern BayberryEach seedling is genetically different, so two or more pollinate each other.
Planting a hedge or row?
2
Free shipping on orders $75+$75
Healthy deliveryOr we replace it
Shipped dormantTimed to your zone
1-year warrantyStore credit, terms

Northern Bayberry plant profile

Mature size5–10 ft tall · 5–10 ft wide
2 ft 4 ft 6 ft 8 ft 10 ft 6 ft 10 ft
Typical (5 ft)Up to 10 ft

Dense, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub that can form colonies.

USDA hardiness zones3–7

Sun & growth
SlowMediumFast

Full sun to part shade.

SoilpH 5.0–7.5
4 acidic6.59 alkaline

Thrives in poor, sandy, well-drained soil and tolerates clay, salt spray and occasional wet or dry periods.

Native to the USPlant two or moreSemi-evergreen; little color fall colorWindbreakHedge & screen

Wildlife

  • Feeds birds
  • Butterflies & moths

The waxy gray berries last into winter and feed songbirds, woodpeckers, quail, grouse and turkey; it is a larval host for the Columbia silkmoth.

Flowers & fruit

Inconspicuous catkins in spring are followed on female plants by clusters of small waxy gray berries that last into winter.

Leaves & fall color

    Semi-evergreen; little color in fall. Glossy, aromatic green leaves; deciduous in most areas and semi-evergreen in mild winters.

    Pests & disease

    Few pest or disease problems and is resistant to deer.

    Pruning

    Prune in late winter to shape or to remove old stems; tolerates hard pruning.

    Pollination

    One Northern Bayberry won't give you much of a crop. Two will.

    Wind-pollinated and dioecious; plant several seedlings so at least one male is near the females. Shipping on one plant is $9.95 and on two it's $10.95, so the second plant adds just $1 in shipping.

    Bare root vs potted

    Skip the garden-center markup.

    Garden centers buy young plants, pot them, grow them another season and mark them up. We ship yours dormant and bare root, timed to your planting window.

    Bare root, from us$11.95ships dormant
    Example: 3-gal potted American hazelnut$70–$140online retail prices checked Oct 2026

    A year with your Northern Bayberry

    SPRINGSmall catkin flowers, wind-pollinated
    SUMMERAromatic glossy green leaves
    LATE SUMMERWaxy berries form on female plants
    FALLGray berries persist into winter; leaves drop late

    Questions people ask about Northern Bayberry

    Do you need male and female bayberry plants?

    Yes. Northern bayberry is dioecious, so a male plant must be nearby for female plants to produce berries.

    Is northern bayberry evergreen?

    No. It is deciduous in most of its range and only semi-evergreen in mild winters.

    Will bayberry grow in sandy or salty soil?

    Yes. It fixes its own nitrogen, grows well in poor sandy soil and is highly tolerant of salt spray.

    Are bayberries edible?

    Bayberries are not grown as food; the waxy coating has traditionally been used to make bayberry candles.

    What arrives when I order bayberry?

    A dormant bare-root shrub about 1-2 ft tall, ready to plant in spring or fall.

    Plant it in 4 steps

    1. Soak the roots in cold water overnight before planting.
    2. Dig twice as wide as the roots; plant at the depth it grew.
    3. Water, then mulch. No fertilizer the first season.
    4. Plant its partner nearby.

    Full bare-root planting guide

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    Plant facts checked October 2026 against: NC State Extension, USDA PLANTS Database.

    Where we can't ship Northern Bayberry


    Can't ship to: AK, HI

    See other plants

    Wait: one Northern Bayberry won't give you a crop

    Bayberry plants are either male or female and only females make the waxy berries, so plant a group of several seedlings (about one male per five plants) to get berries.

    Shipping on one plant is $9.95. On two it's $10.95, so the second plant adds just $1 in shipping.

    Why bare root is the better start

    1. Roots go straight into your soil. No circling, pot-shaped roots to fight.
    2. Shipped dormant, at planting time. It arrives inside your zone's planting window.
    3. Light to ship. No pot or soil, so you pay for the plant.
    What to expect: it arrives without leaves and can look like a bare stick with roots. That's normal. Soak, plant and water it; it can take 6–8 weeks to fully wake up.

    More about bare-root plants

    Where are you planting?

    We use your ZIP to show your USDA zone, exact ship dates, and whether a plant can ship to your state. We guess it from your connection; change it anytime.