What it says
Myrtle speaks of lasting love and fidelity. It was sacred to Aphrodite in Greece and to Venus in Rome — hence its continuous presence in Western marriage rites, down to British royal bouquets, which traditionally include a sprig.
Unlike most symbolic flowers it is not a cut flower: it is an evergreen shrub, and the sprig is offered as much as the bloom.
The flower
White, five-petalled, with a crown of prominent stamens giving it a downy look. It smells of honey and resin. Flowering is brief and summery; the blue-black berries that follow last all winter.
What is made from it
In Sardinia and Corsica, macerated berries make mirto, a dark resinous liqueur. The leaves flavour Mediterranean grills and charcuterie — they replace bay with a more peppery note.
In perfumery, myrtle oil brings a fresh, camphorous, slightly medicinal note used in classical eaux de Cologne.
Not to be confused with bog myrtle or crape myrtle, which are botanically unrelated. True myrtle is Myrtus communis.
In the garden
It wants sun and free drainage, and dislikes prolonged frost — below about minus eight it needs protection or a pot. It clips well, making it an alternative to box in mild regions.
our piece on flower symbolism places myrtle among the flowers of transmission.