Murta Plant Care

Murta (Myrceugenia exsucca) belongs to the Myrtaceae family within the Myrceugenia genus. Murta is native to South America as far south as Chile. Murta is also known as Chilean Guava.

Murta displays a compact, bushy shrub growth habit, reaching up to 4 ft tall with a spread of approximately 3 ft. Murta produces small white or pink fragrant flowers in clusters.

Leaf size: approximately 2 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Murta every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Murta thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Myrceugenia exsucca tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Murta prefers humidity levels of 50–70%. A pebble tray or humidifier helps maintain adequate moisture around the plant.

Well-draining acidic soil with high organic content, such as a mix of peat moss, pine bark, and perlite. Good drainage is essential for Murta to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Murta every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining acidic soil with high organic content, such as a mix of peat moss, pine bark, and perlite. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Murta is suited to USDA Zone 8b – 10b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Murta can spread to about 3 ft (0.9 m) and reach about 4 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 3 ft (0.9 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune Murta while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

Murta is hardy down to USDA zone 8b, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Murta can be propagated through seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to myrceugenia correifolia plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Murta is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Murta grows outdoors in USDA Zone 8b – 10b. It survives winters down to planting zone 8b. Murta is native to South America as far south as Chile.