Candleberry

Other Names

Arbre à suifbay berrybayberrybayberry treecandletreecandlewoodCerophora angustifoliaCerophora inodoraCerophora lanceolataCerophora spicansCerothamnus arborescensCerothamnus ceriferusCerothamnus pensylvanicaCerothamnus pumilusdwarf bayberrydwarf wax myrtleeastern bayberryLacistema alterumLacistema berteroanummickle berryMorella ceriferaMorella dominganaMorella pensylvanicamuckle bushMyricaMyrica alteraMyrica ceriferaMyrica cerifera var. angustifoliaMyrica cerifera var. arborescensMyrica cerifera var. frutescensMyrica cerifera var. pumilaMyrica mexicanaMyrica pensylvanicaMyrica pumilaMyrica pusillaMyrica xalapensisMyricae Cortexmyrique de Pennsylvanienorthern bayberryPimecaria odoratasmall waxberrysouthern bayberrysouthern wax myrtleswamp candleberrytallow bayberrytallow shrubtallowshrubtallowtreeWachsgaglewax berrywax myrtlewaxberrywaxmyrtlewild tea

Synopsis

Candleberry (Myrica cerifera L.): A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity and Botanical Classification

Myrica cerifera is an evergreen tree or large shrub native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. Its common names include southern wax myrtle, southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub. This plant is one of several Myrica species that are sometimes split into the genus Morella, as in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accordingly, it is also encountered in scientific literature under the accepted synonym Morella cerifera (L.) Small.

The species also carries several additional synonyms: Cerothamnus pumilus, C. ceriferus, Myrica cerifera var. pumila, and Myrica pusilla. The generic name Myrica comes from the Greek word myrike, which refers to some fragrant plant (possibly tamarisk), while the specific epithet cerifera means "wax-bearing."

Other common names across languages include wax myrtle, American bayberry, tallow shrub, waxberry, vokspors (Norwegian), Wachsmyrte (German), arrayán (Spanish), and cirier (French).

The genus Myrica comprises approximately 97 species including M. gale (Sweet Gale or Bog Myrtle), M. cerifera (Wax Myrtle), M. esculenta (Bayberry or Kafal), and others found in different countries worldwide. The name "candleberry" most specifically designates M. cerifera in the North American context, though it has been applied informally to related species. In this article, "candleberry" is used synonymously with southern bayberry / M. cerifera unless otherwise noted.

1.1 Botanical Description and Habitat

Bayberry is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to about 9 meters (30 feet) in height. The leaves are narrow, wedge-shaped, with a few teeth and have a rather fragrant odor when crushed. The small yellow flowers appear from March to May. The plant is dioecious, with both male and female flowers found on separate plants.

Myrica cerifera is endemic to the coastal areas of eastern and southern North America and has become a popular garden plant around the world where the climate is suitable. Bayberry produces blue-white fruits that can remain attached to the tree for several years. The plant's roots have nodes containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which form a symbiotic relationship with the plant, allowing it to grow in very nutrient-poor soil.

1.2 Plant Parts Used and Common Preparations

The bark is primarily used for medicinal purposes, but the leaves, wax extracted from the fruits, and the fruits themselves can also be used for therapeutic purposes. In the bark, tannins, triterpenes (myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone), flavonoid glycosides, astringent resin, and gum have been described. The leaves and fruit contain anthocyanins (e.g., cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) and phenolic acids (ferulic, caffeic, sinapic, and salicylic). Spectroscopic and chromatographic methods for identification of myricetin, myricitrin, quercetin, and gallic acid have been described.

Common preparations in herbal medicine and commerce include:

Teas brewed from the berries are used to alleviate digestive issues and promote respiratory health.
Tinctures made from the berries or leaves are often used to treat skin conditions and as a natural antiseptic.
The bark has traditionally been made into teas or poultices to support wound healing and alleviate digestive and respiratory issues.
Root bark decoction: A decoction is prepared by adding root bark to cold water and boiling the mixture, then allowing it to cool.
Wax: Southern bayberry's fruits are a traditional source of the wax for bayberry candles. The wax was extracted by boiling the berries and skimming off the floating hydrocarbons; the fats were then boiled again and strained, after which the liquid was usable in candle making, whether through dipping or molding.
In manufacturing, the wax extract taken from the berries is used in fragrances and candles.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

2.1 Indigenous North American Use

Indigenous peoples of North America, including the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes, were among the first to recognize the plant's healing potential. The leaves, berries, and bark of Myrica cerifera were integral components of their herbal remedies. The Choctaw, Cherokee, and other nations used the leaves and bark medicinally — as a febrifuge (fever reducer), astringent, and treatment for intestinal ailments.

Initially, bayberry was used medicinally only in the South, where the Choctaw Indians boiled the leaves and drank the decoction as a treatment for fever. Bayberry was used to treat fevers by the Choctaws in the South, and the American colonists used it for dysentery.

2.2 Colonial and Early American Use

The European settlers who came to North America learned about the medicinal properties of bayberry from the Native Americans. Louisiana settlers adopted the plant and drank bayberry wax in hot water for the most violent cases of dysentery.

Wax extracted from boiling the fruit of Myrica cerifera was also used to make scented bayberry soap by early North-American settlers. Wax extracted from boiling the fruit of Myrica cerifera was used to make scented bayberry candles as well.

2.3 Nineteenth-Century Eclectic and Thomsonian Herbalism

During the early 19th century, bayberry was popularized by Samuel A. Thomson, a New England herbalist, who touted it for producing "heat" within the body. Thomson recommended bayberry for colds, flu, and other infectious diseases in addition to diarrhea and fever. According to 19th-century physician E.M. Hale, though Myrica was known to older botanic practitioners, it was Samuel Thomson who established its reputation. Thomson had a crude pathology of his own, including the concept that the digestive tract was liable to become fouled with a copious mucous lining, which he called "canker"; he stated of Myrica that it "has the power of disengaging the thick, viscid secretions of the mucous membrane of the stomach." Myrica, says Hale, formed the chief ingredient in Thomson's famous "Composition powder."

2.4 Traditional Therapeutic Indications

Contemporary herbalists have recommended using the herb externally for varicose veins and internally for diarrhea, dysentery, colds, flu, bleeding gums, and sore throat. Some people have taken bayberry for head colds, painful and swollen intestines (colitis), diarrhea, and nausea. In large amounts, bayberry is used to cause vomiting. Some people also use it to stimulate the circulatory system. Bayberry is sometimes used as a gargle for sore throat, as a douche for vaginal discharge, and as an ointment for skin ulcers and wounds.

In homeopathic materia medica, candleberry/Myrica has been associated with catarrh, conjunctivitis, heart affections, jaundice, leucorrhoea, liver affections, pharyngeal affections, and sore throat.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

The plant contains several organic compounds, including triterpenes such as myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone, as well as chemicals such as different flavonoids, tannins, resins, gums, and phenols. The definitive isolation and characterization of these compounds from the root bark was accomplished by Paul, Rao, and Kapadia, published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1974. This work reported the isolation and identification of three triterpenes — myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone — and a flavonoid glycoside, myricitrin, from the root bark of Myrica cerifera L.

Tannin content has been measured at 3.9% in the bark and 34.82% in total aqueous extract. Terpenoids include myricadiol, taraxerol, and taraxerone. Other constituents include albumen, red dye, gum, resin, starch, and wax containing palmitic, myristic, and lauric acid esters.

3.1 Major Compounds and Their Mechanisms

Myricitrin is the principal flavonoid glycoside. Myricadiol has a slight impact on levels of potassium and sodium, while a substance called myricitrin has antibiotic properties. Myricitrin has been reported to exhibit choleretic, bactericidal, paramecicidal, and spermatocidal activity; myricadiol has mineralocorticoid activity. Biochemically, myricitrin's antibacterial mechanism involves membrane disruption; its flavonoid glycoside structure is hydrolyzed to the aglycone myricetin in vivo.

Myricadiol is a pentacyclic triterpene. Myricadiol is reported to cause retention of salt and excretion of potassium, a property consistent with mineralocorticoid-like activity — a mechanism relevant both to potential cardiovascular/edema effects and to safety concerns. Mineralocorticoid activity has been reported for one of the triterpene constituents.

Myriceric Acid A is a triterpenoid of notable pharmacological interest. As the first non-peptide endothelin receptor antagonist from a higher plant, myriceric acid A was isolated from bayberry, Myrica cerifera. Myriceric acid A inhibited not only an endothelin-1-induced increase in cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration (IC₅₀ = 11 ± 2 nM) but also [¹²⁵I]endothelin-1 binding in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (Ki = 66 ± 15 nM). Two new related triterpenoids, myriceric acid C and myriceric acid D, were also isolated. Chemical modification of these natural products led to the synthesis of sulfated derivatives which showed 1.5 to 20 times higher affinity for endothelin receptors.

Myricanol, a diarylheptanoid also isolated from M. cerifera, has attracted research interest in neuroscience contexts. Researchers found that the most powerful anti-tau compound in bayberry was the diarylheptanoid myricanol. (+)-αR,11S-myricanol, isolated from M. cerifera, decreased tau expression in HeLa-C3 cells, IMR32 cells, and mice brain slices dose-dependently, with an EC₅₀ of 35 µM in HeLa-C3 cells. Myricanol was also reported to exhibit anti-androgenic activity; among four constituents of Myricae cortex, myricanol showed the highest testosterone 5α-reductase inhibitory activity, with an IC₅₀ of 3.7 mM.

Tannins form a quantitatively major chemical class. Documented tannin constituents justify some of the herbal uses. Tannins are responsible for the astringent action that underlies traditional uses against diarrhea, wound healing, and mucous membrane conditions.

Anthocyanins and phenolic acids are found principally in the leaves and fruit. The leaves and fruit contain anthocyanins (e.g., cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) and phenolic acids (ferulic, caffeic, sinapic, and salicylic).

4. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

Bayberry has been evaluated for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiovascular effects, and has demonstrated activity in cancer and diabetes, with most data derived from animal or in vitro studies. Because clinical data are lacking, bayberry cannot be recommended for any indication. The following subsections organize available research by topic, with characterization of evidence strength.

4.1 Cardiovascular System — Endothelin Antagonism

The most biochemically specific and research-supported mechanistic finding for M. cerifera involves endothelin receptor antagonism. A 1992 study published in FEBS Letters by Fujimoto et al. first identified myriceric acid A as a novel non-peptide endothelin antagonist isolated from bayberry, Myrica cerifera. A 1996 paper in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin elaborated on structure-activity relationships. Myriceric acid A binds selectively to the ETA receptor, antagonizes specific binding of [¹²⁵I]endothelin-1 (ET-1) to rat cardiac membranes, and inhibits ET-1-induced increase in cytosolic free Ca²⁺ concentration (IC₅₀ = 11 ± 2 nM) and ET-1-induced contraction of rat aortic strips (Ki = 66 ± 15 nM).

ET-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide released by the vascular endothelial cell. Overproduction of this peptide causes vasospasm, which may lead to heart attack, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, and congestive heart failure. This makes myriceric acid A of theoretical interest as a lead compound in drug discovery. However, all this work is preclinical (in vitro and animal models); no clinical trials in human cardiovascular disease have been conducted with M. cerifera extracts or myriceric acid A.

4.2 Cardiovascular System — Myricitrin and Atherosclerosis

In vitro research suggests that myricitrin treatment can effectively protect cells from ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis, which results in reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation. In an in vitro study, ox-LDL-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell apoptosis was reduced upon myricitrin pre-treatment. Myricitrin significantly attenuated ox-LDL-induced endothelial cell apoptosis by inhibiting LOX-1 expression and by increasing the activation of STAT3 and PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathways. This result indicates that myricitrin can be used as a drug candidate for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This evidence is in vitro only; no human trials have confirmed this effect.

Myricitrin has also been studied for effects on vascular smooth muscle. Myricitrin inhibits vascular adhesion molecule expression in TNF-α-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells. Again, this evidence base is preclinical.

4.3 Antimicrobial Activity

Antibacterial activity of Chinese bayberry (M. rubra), including against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio cholerae, and other human pathogens, has been demonstrated in vitro. The bactericidal properties associated with myricitrin have been a consistent finding in the phytochemical literature since at least the mid-20th century. Myricitrin has been reported to exhibit choleretic, bactericidal, paramecicidal, and spermatocidal activity. All antimicrobial evidence remains in vitro; no randomized clinical trials have evaluated bayberry for infectious disease outcomes in humans.

4.4 Neurological Research — Tau Protein and Alzheimer's Disease

An area of emerging preclinical interest is the effect of bayberry-derived compounds on tau protein aggregation, relevant to Alzheimer's disease. A study published in the Journal of Natural Products (Jones et al., 2011) identified that the diarylheptanoid (+)-aR,11S-myricanol and two flavones from bayberry (Myrica cerifera) destabilize the microtubule-associated protein tau. In a laboratory screen, extract from M. cerifera (bayberry extract) was identified as the most potent tau reducer lacking cellular toxicity. Anti-tau efficacy of the bayberry extract was confirmed using immunocytochemistry in a second neural cell line, H4 neuroglioma cells. Intriguingly, (+)-myricanol significantly reduced tau content in HeLa-C3 cells, while racemic myricanol showed no effect at the same concentrations, underscoring the importance of chirality in the pharmacological activity. This evidence is entirely in vitro and in cell lines; no clinical studies in Alzheimer's disease have been conducted.

4.5 Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activity

Bayberry-derived compounds demonstrate significant anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory actions, primarily by regulating Caspase and BCL-2 family proteins, inhibiting iNOS expression, scavenging free radicals, and interacting with Peroxiredoxin 5. These findings are derived from in vitro and animal model studies. No controlled human trials on inflammatory conditions have been published for M. cerifera specifically.

4.6 Metabolic/Antidiabetic Activity

Research on the broader Myrica genus has documented antidiabetic activity across multiple species. A cyanidin-3-glucoside-rich extract from Chinese bayberry fruit was found to protect pancreatic β cells and ameliorate hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Bayberry juice 250 mL twice daily for 4 weeks was used in one small clinical trial of patients with features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This represents the only human dose-exposure study that can be identified in the literature, and its results should be interpreted with caution given the small and specific study population. Broader clinical evidence for antidiabetic effects in humans is absent.

4.7 Respiratory Allergy — Clinical Evidence

One of the best-documented human studies involving M. cerifera relates not to its therapeutic use but to its allergenicity. A 1992 provocation challenge study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Jacinto, Nelson, Bucholtz, et al.) systematically examined bayberry pollen as an aeroallergen. Southern bayberry, distributed throughout the southeastern United States, is the source of the fifth most common windborne tree pollen in Tampa, Florida. Fifteen percent of 400 consecutive subjects evaluated for allergic respiratory symptoms in the Tampa Bay area had positive skin tests to bayberry pollen extract.

Twelve of 13 (92%) study subjects with allergic rhinitis and positive skin tests to bayberry pollen extract and two of 12 (17%) control subjects with negative skin tests had positive nasal challenges (p = 0.0001). Four of seven (57%) study subjects with extrinsic asthma and positive skin tests to bayberry pollen extract and none of the 15 (0%) control subjects with negative skin tests had positive bronchial challenges (p = 0.001). Sera from 30 subjects who underwent 31 challenges were assayed for bayberry pollen extract-specific IgE by plate radioimmunoassay. Specific IgE antibodies were present in the sera of 8 of 13 (62%) subjects with positive challenges and absent in 15 of 18 (83%) subjects with negative challenges (p = 0.01).

The study concluded that bayberry pollen extract is allergenic, and that the Southern bayberry tree fulfills Thommen's criteria defining aeroallergen-producing plants. This is a well-designed human provocation study, representing the strongest clinical evidence base associated with M. cerifera as a whole — in this case demonstrating a significant allergic risk rather than a therapeutic benefit.

4.8 Liver and Gastrointestinal Applications

Traditional claims regarding bayberry's effects on the liver and gastrointestinal tract are recorded in the historical literature. In older materia medica accounts, a liver disorder associated with the plant includes aching pain in liver, fullness, drowsiness, despondency, dull heavy headache, yellowish white of eyes, weakness, ash-coloured stools, slow pulse, pains under the scapulae, dirty yellow tongue, muscular soreness, and jaundice of all degrees. However, these descriptions reflect 19th-century clinical observations and are not validated by controlled trials. Bayberry has been evaluated for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has demonstrated activity in animal models, but because clinical data are lacking, it cannot be recommended for any indication.

5. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Candleberry

Based on the combined historical, ethnobotanical, and scientific record, candleberry/M. cerifera has been associated with the following body systems:

Gastrointestinal system: Bayberry is stated to possess antipyretic, circulatory stimulant, emetic, and mild diaphoretic properties. It has been used for diarrhoea, colds, and specifically for mucous colitis.
Respiratory system: Medicinal actions attributed to the plant include expectorant, astringent, sialagogue, stimulant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, diaphoretic, hepatic, laxative, and tonic properties.
Cardiovascular system: The identification of myriceric acid A as an endothelin receptor antagonist (in vitro) and myricitrin's effects on vascular smooth muscle cells provide a preclinical mechanistic connection.
Immune/infectious disease: Myricitrin's documented bactericidal properties underpin traditional uses against infections. Today, herbalists and naturopaths primarily use bayberry bark for its astringent effects, helping with conditions involving excess mucus and inflammation, like sinus infections, sore throats, and gastrointestinal issues.
Neurological system: Preclinical evidence for tau protein reduction by myricanol links the plant to neurodegenerative disease research, without clinical translation to date.
Endocrine/hormonal: Myricanol exhibits anti-androgenic activity; among constituents of Myricae cortex, myricanol showed the highest testosterone 5α-reductase inhibitory activity.
Integumentary system: Bayberry is sometimes used as an ointment for skin ulcers and wounds.

6. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages

There is insufficient reliable evidence to determine a standardized dosage for bayberry. No regulatory agency (FDA, EMA, EFSA) has established an official monograph or approved dosage for M. cerifera as a medicinal product. The following dosage-relevant information reflects what has been recorded in studies or traditional sources only:

Bayberry juice (clinical study): Bayberry juice 250 mL twice daily for 4 weeks was used in one small clinical trial of patients with features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Root bark decoction (traditional): A decoction is prepared by adding a teaspoonful of root bark to a cup of cold water and boiling the mixture. The resultant solution is cooled for around 10 to 15 minutes. Historically, drinking this decoction three times daily was recommended.
General herbal recommendation note: In view of the mineralocorticoid activity and high tannin content, excessive use of bayberry should be avoided.

7. Safety Considerations and Interactions

7.1 Tannin Content and Carcinogenicity

The elevated tannin concentration of bayberry bark is carcinogenic in rats, which precludes general internal use of the plant bark in humans. The triterpene myricadiol has been shown to be spermatocidal, and antiandrogenic activity of the bark extract of M. rubra has also been reported. This is a significant safety concern; tannin-related carcinogenicity findings in animal models are the principal reason major evidence-based references conclude that bayberry bark should not be used internally in humans without medical supervision.

7.2 Mineralocorticoid Effects

Large doses may cause typical mineralocorticoid side effects such as sodium and water retention and hypertension. This is consistent with the documented mineralocorticoid activity of myricadiol. Individuals with hypertension, heart failure, renal disease, or who are taking medications that affect sodium/potassium balance may be at heightened risk.

7.3 Pregnancy and Lactation

Use of Myrica cerifera during pregnancy and lactation should be avoided due to possible mineralocorticoid and carcinogenic activity. This contraindication is endorsed in naturopathic botanical medicine references.

7.4 Allergenic Pollen

Anecdotal evidence suggests that bayberry may induce symptoms of hay fever in sensitised individuals; it is possible that the allergy occurs more frequently than has been reported, in particular as southern bayberry was reported to be the source of the fifth most common windborne tree pollen in Tampa, Florida, in the USA. Individuals with known tree pollen allergy should be aware of potential cross-reactivity when handling or working near the plant.

7.5 Spermatocidal and Antiandrogenic Activity

The elevated tannin concentration of bayberry bark is carcinogenic in rats, which precludes general internal use of the plant bark in humans. The triterpene myricadiol has been shown to be spermatocidal, and antiandrogenic activity of the bark extract of M. rubra has also been reported. These findings raise concerns about reproductive safety, particularly for males of reproductive age.

7.6 Gastrointestinal Effects

The tannins that give it therapeutic value can also cause stomach upset if consumed in large quantities, which is true of tannin-rich substances broadly (strong black tea, for example). Bayberry bark is generally safe when used in small amounts, though it can be toxic in large doses due to high tannin levels. Prolonged use or high doses may cause digestive upset or liver issues.

7.7 Potential Confusion with Barberry

Bayberry (Myrica cerifera) is sometimes confused with barberry (Berberis vulgaris), a completely different plant. Barberry contains berberine, a compound with its own set of benefits and a more established toxicity profile, including potential interactions with medications metabolized by liver enzymes. This taxonomic confusion in commerce and labeling represents a practical safety consideration.

7.8 Overall Evidence-Based Safety Summary

Despite safety concerns, bayberry is used for colds, diarrhea, nausea, skin wounds, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Bayberry has been evaluated for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiovascular effects, and has demonstrated activity in cancer and diabetes models, with most data derived from animal or in vitro studies. Because clinical data are lacking, bayberry cannot be recommended for any indication. The tannin-related carcinogenicity in animal models and the mineralocorticoid activity of myricadiol are documented mechanisms of concern that are not merely theoretical.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Candleberry may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Candleberry may help support.

No body systems available.