Morella cerifera

Interdune swales, maritime swamps, dune scrub, dune woodlands, maritime upland forests, mesic sandhill woodlands, depression ponds, seepage swamps, tidal swamps, mesic hardwood and successional pine-hardwood forests. Common in the coastal Plain; rare in the outer piedmont.

Wildlife value: Provides excellent winter and extreme weather cover. It is a host plant for the Red-Banded Hairstreak butterfly. Flowers provide an excellent source of nectar for honeybees and butterflies. The fruits are eaten by birds, especially yellow-rumped warbler (which are very efficient at digesting the waxy fruits) in the fall and winter.