You will want to protect this shrub from harsh winds and soggy soil. It appreciates a rich, loam-based growing medium, but it can handle slightly chalky or sandy soils. Add compost and feed once a year with liquid fertilizer, or more if kept indoors. Prune after bloom time, using a bonsai-tending approach if you like. If kept as a bonsai, it should do well near a sunny, warm window.

Since antiquity, Myrtle has been associated with love, loyalty, youth... so many positive associations. Who would not want this small evergreen shrub in the garden or on a sunny windowside table? In late spring and early summer, Common Myrtle unveils magical white flowers which have the appearance of tiny white pom-poms due to their many thread-like stamens. These flowers decorate shiny elliptical leaves which are attractive on their own when the shrub is not in bloom. Both flowers and foliage give off a fresh, herbaceous scent which some describe as being similar to that of Eucalyptus. After flowering, Myrtle gets decorated with blue-black oblong berries that are visually interesting but of little interest to deer. This shrub is attractive in Mediterranean garden displays, along wall and fence borders where it gets some wind protection, and when used as a focal piece in a garden bed. But kept small, it can also be kept as a bonsai. It has a classical elegance.