{"id":"morella-cerifera","license":"CC-BY-4.0","data":{"scientificName":"Morella cerifera","commonNames":["Wax myrtle"],"taxonRank":"species","acceptedName":"Morella cerifera","family":"Myricaceae","synonyms":["Myrica cerifera"],"ids":{"usdaSymbol":"MOCE2","gbifKey":3168995,"itisTsn":507899,"wikidataQid":"Q1109693","inatTaxonId":119956},"usdaZoneMin":"6b","zoneSource":"usda-plants","states":["AL","AR","DE","FL","GA","HI","LA","MD","MS","NC","NJ","OK","PR","SC","TX","VA","WV"],"nativeStates":["NC"],"invasiveIn":[{"state":"HI","status":"invasive-reported","source":"us-riis"}],"statusAssertions":[{"status":"widespread-invasive","channel":"ecological","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","regions":["HI"]},"source":"us-riis-v2","sourceRecordId":"USRIIS-HI-Plantae9303","sourceVersion":"2.0 (November 2022)","asOf":"2022-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","sourceModified":"2022-05-09T00:00:00.000Z","sourceTaxon":{"name":"Morella cerifera","rank":"species","rawRank":"Species"},"sourceDesignation":{"code":"E","label":"widespread invasive (category E)"},"associatedReferences":["USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) PLANTS Database (2021czs), https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=MOCE2"],"taxonProjection":{"basis":"exact-taxon","notes":"exact source identifier, rank, family, and scientific/accepted name"}}],"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"6b","interpretation":"minimum-threshold","precision":"half-zone","zoneMapping":"derived-containing-band","sourceMeasurement":{"kind":"minimum-temperature","value":-3,"unit":"degrees-fahrenheit"},"applicability":"applicable","source":"usda-plants-characteristics","sourceRecordId":"MOCE2","sourceTaxon":"Morella cerifera","taxonMatch":"source-identifier","sourcePlacement":"PlantCharacteristics record 70717, Temperature, Minimum (°F)","sourceVersion":"PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"}],"plantForm":"tree","matureHeightFt":10,"waterNeed":"high","photo":{"file":"/images/plants/morella-cerifera.jpg","sourceUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/248988648","observationUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/144997395","license":"cc0","attribution":"no rights reserved","fetchedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},"evidence":[{"source":"bardon-2005","verdict":"avoid","verdictRaw":"High flammability rating","edition":"2005","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"fps-eastern-us","verdict":"mixed","verdictRaw":"AT RISK Firewise (3)","claims":"Fragrant foliage, it can be found growing in swamps, and has waxy blue fruit on stems.","sourcePlacement":{"value":"LZ2","scheme":"fps-landscape-zone"},"edition":"2016-wayback","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"va-firescapes","verdict":"avoid","verdictRaw":"H flammability","claims":"Very tolerant of soil salts and salt spray.","edition":"2009","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ncsu-ag874","verdict":"avoid","verdictRaw":"high flammability","original":"bardon-2005","edition":"2025","url":"https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fire-resistant-landscaping-in-north-carolina","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"behm-2004-florida-understory","verdict":"mixed","verdictRaw":"Moderate measured characteristics; no high-flammability characteristic","claims":"Aboveground plant structure, foliage, litter, stems, moisture, volatile solids, and energy were compared across the study taxa.","plantPart":"whole-plant","edition":"2004","url":"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228547525_Flammability_of_native_understory_species_in_pine_flatwood_and_hardwood_hammock_ecosystems_and_implications_for_the_wildland-urban_interface","documentDate":"2004-11-16T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"nc-plant-toolbox","verdict":"avoid","verdictRaw":"high flammability; extreme flammability (listed under both tags)","claims":"NC Toolbox facet capture lists \"Myrica cerifera\" under the high and extreme flammability tags. Exact GBIF reconciliation: \"Myrica cerifera\" → \"Morella cerifera\", \"Myrica cerifera\" → \"Morella cerifera\".","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"myrica-cerifera","scheme":"nc-toolbox-flammability-facet"},"original":"bardon-2005","edition":"live facet capture accessed 2026-08-23","url":"https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/myrica-cerifera/","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"travis-county-agrilife-firewise","verdict":"avoid","verdictRaw":"Plants to Avoid for Zone 1 (within 30′ of Structure)","claims":"Listed as Wax Myrtle — Morella cerifera. The page says Zone 1 entries should be restricted to zones 2 or 3; all-zone entries are highly flammable due to volatile oils or growth habit.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Small trees/Large Shrubs","scheme":"Travis County Firewise page sections"},"edition":"page modified 2024-01-16","url":"https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/basic-landscape-design/firewise-landscaping/","documentDate":"2024-01-16T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"low","claims":"The table rates Wax Myrtle — Morella cerifera low for flammability hazard, defined as the ease a plant can burn at high temperatures for a prolonged time.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Small Trees","scheme":"Sun City plant-table sections"},"edition":"updated January 14, 2015","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","documentDate":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"}],"flammabilityClass":"highly-flammable","ratingReason":"consensus","recommendation":"avoid","author":"grayson-graham","reviewStatus":"draft","lastVerified":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","reviewNotes":"Photo auto-selected (top-voted iNat); human review pending."},"localAssessmentInputs":{"stateDistribution":["AL","AR","DE","FL","GA","HI","LA","MD","MS","NC","NJ","OK","PR","SC","TX","VA","WV"],"nativeStates":["NC"],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"native","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["NC"]},"provenance":"legacy-field"},{"relation":"documented-occurrence","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["AL","AR","DE","FL","GA","HI","LA","MD","MS","NC","NJ","OK","PR","SC","TX","VA","WV"]},"provenance":"legacy-field"}],"usdaZoneMin":"6b","usdaZoneMax":null,"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"6b","interpretation":"minimum-threshold","precision":"half-zone","zoneMapping":"derived-containing-band","sourceMeasurement":{"kind":"minimum-temperature","value":-3,"unit":"degrees-fahrenheit"},"applicability":"applicable","source":"usda-plants-characteristics","sourceRecordId":"MOCE2","sourceTaxon":"Morella cerifera","taxonMatch":"source-identifier","sourcePlacement":"PlantCharacteristics record 70717, Temperature, Minimum (°F)","sourceVersion":"PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}],"hardinessSelection":{"status":"selected","assertion":{"minimum":"6b","interpretation":"minimum-threshold","precision":"half-zone","zoneMapping":"derived-containing-band","sourceMeasurement":{"kind":"minimum-temperature","value":-3,"unit":"degrees-fahrenheit"},"applicability":"applicable","source":"usda-plants-characteristics","sourceRecordId":"MOCE2","sourceTaxon":"Morella cerifera","taxonMatch":"source-identifier","sourcePlacement":"PlantCharacteristics record 70717, Temperature, Minimum (°F)","sourceVersion":"PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},"assertions":[{"minimum":"6b","interpretation":"minimum-threshold","precision":"half-zone","zoneMapping":"derived-containing-band","sourceMeasurement":{"kind":"minimum-temperature","value":-3,"unit":"degrees-fahrenheit"},"applicability":"applicable","source":"usda-plants-characteristics","sourceRecordId":"MOCE2","sourceTaxon":"Morella cerifera","taxonMatch":"source-identifier","sourcePlacement":"PlantCharacteristics record 70717, Temperature, Minimum (°F)","sourceVersion":"PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}]},"invasiveIn":[{"state":"HI","status":"invasive-reported","source":"us-riis"}],"statusAssertions":[{"status":"widespread-invasive","channel":"ecological","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","regions":["HI"]},"source":"us-riis-v2","sourceRecordId":"USRIIS-HI-Plantae9303","sourceVersion":"2.0 (November 2022)","asOf":"2022-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","sourceModified":"2022-05-09T00:00:00.000Z","sourceTaxon":{"name":"Morella cerifera","rank":"species","rawRank":"Species"},"sourceDesignation":{"code":"E","label":"widespread invasive (category E)"},"associatedReferences":["USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) PLANTS Database (2021czs), https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=MOCE2"],"taxonProjection":{"basis":"exact-taxon","notes":"exact source identifier, rank, family, and scientific/accepted name"},"provenance":"cited"}],"fireEvidenceClass":"highly-flammable","recommendation":"avoid","fireSourceScopes":[{"source":"ncsu-ag874","sourceName":"Fire-Resistant Landscaping in North Carolina (AG-874)","sourceUrl":"https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fire-resistant-landscaping-in-north-carolina","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["NC"]},"completeness":"complete","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The complete three-table AG-874 plant list is explicitly for North Carolina and contains 202 low-, medium-, or high-flammability rows. FireApproved accounts for all source rows under its strict taxonomy and lineage rules; source scope does not establish local suitability at a particular North Carolina site.","sourceVersion":"AG-874-reviewed-2025-03-26","asOf":"2025-03-26T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","sourceName":"Firewise Plant Guide","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["TX"],"regions":["Sun City Texas, Georgetown"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The guide is authored for the Sun City Texas community in Georgetown. FireApproved publishes 142 exact owners only as community-level context. It is an archived HOA exhibit with unknown rating lineage, not a current statewide Texas source or an independent Tier 1 determination.","sourceVersion":"Sun-City-Texas-Firewise-guide-2015-01-14","asOf":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"travis-county-agrilife-firewise","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping (Travis County)","sourceUrl":"https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/basic-landscape-design/firewise-landscaping/","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["TX"],"regions":["Travis County","Austin area"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Texas A&M AgriLife Extension publishes this page through its Travis County horticulture program. FireApproved publishes 56 exact owners and retains the source's zone and warning conditions. This is county/Austin regional context, not a second statewide Texas table or site clearance.","sourceVersion":"Travis-County-AgriLife-Firewise-2024-01-16","asOf":"2024-01-16T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"va-firescapes","sourceName":"Virginia Firescapes — Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes (430-300)","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Virginia Cooperative Extension's publication opens with Virginia wildfire conditions, identifies its Virginia Firewise Landscaping Task Force, and labels plants native to Virginia. FireApproved publishes 306 exact source owners. Publication scope does not establish parcel suitability or current endorsement of this archived 2009 list.","sourceVersion":"Virginia-VCE-430-300-2009","asOf":"2009-04-15T00:00:00.000Z"}],"firePerformanceConditions":[],"maintenanceAssertions":[],"maintenanceConditions":null,"regulatoryReviews":{},"seedReviews":{}},"legacyCompatibilityProjection":{"nativeStates":["NC"],"invasiveIn":[{"state":"HI","status":"invasive-reported","source":"us-riis-v2"}],"usdaZoneMin":"6b"},"localAssessmentContract":"Compare each dimension separately. State noxious-weed seed designations are material-scoped and never become non-seed plant restrictions, ecological-invasive findings, nursery restrictions, alternatives, product evidence, or fire votes. Introduced/established context is not an invasive warning. Minimum-only hardiness has no inferred maximum; canonical source-temperature conversion is validated and contradictory applicable rows project no primary zone. L48 context applies only to conterminous states and is never exact-state status. Fire-performance conditions are not maintenance advice. FEIS fire-ecology context does not vote in the plant classification. Absence of a status row is not regulatory clearance."}