Bog Myrtle
Myrica gale
Bog-myrtle is a distinctive shrubby deciduous plant of 60 - 250 cm high spread by suckers. It has dark green, waxy leaves which are generally 2-6cm long with conspicuous scattered shining yellowish sessile glands on both sides. Twigs of the plant are red brown and scattered with yellowish glands.
Location
Found in the higher latitudes of Europe, especially the UK. Bog-myrtle is a shrub of wet, acid heath land, bogs and moors. It is abundant in Scotland, north-Wales and north-west England, but with surviving populations in for instance, the Devon and Surrey commons and the Norfolk Broads.
Characteristics:
The catkins and leaves are full of aromatic compounds.
The essential oils of bog-myrtle are repellent to insects and are also toxic.
The leaves were used in Uist and in Glenald in Scotland (as well as in Scandinavian countries) to flavour and help preserve beer. Also this species is often used to garnish food and used in cooking in some parts of Scotland.
Sprigs of this plant are stored with clothes to discourage moths, and anglers have been known to wear sprigs to keep away the midges (Culicoides impunctatus). The berries can also be used for pottage, soups and broths.
Since the dark ages the plant has been used to treat depression because of its ability to induce a good mood and calm stress. Bog myrtle has also been used in poultices to heal wounds, suggesting that it may contain strong anti-bacterial agents that could perhaps be developed into new antibiotics.
In 1995 a commercial midge-repellent based on bog-myrtle appeared on the market under the name ‘Myrica’. It was produced from wild myrtle growing on the Isle of Skye, which had been steam distilled to produce a volatile essential oil. In initial trials, eight volunteers each had one arm covered in a gel made from the essential oil. Untreated arms recorded 155 bites while the treated arms received just 13 (over a 10 minute period) (Mabey, 1996).
The leaves of bog-myrtle are used in Scotland in the production of commercially available heather ales as flavourings and to help preserve the beer.
Scientists from Aberystwyth-based Moleculanature Ltd have been testing Bog myrtle in the hope of finding new drugs. Results show many potentially useful chemical compounds lie within the plant and can be passed onto drug firms for possible development.
Bog myrtle could also provide a valuable source of income for farmers with peat bog on their land.
