Morella serrata, previously Myrica serrata and commonly known as the lance-leaved waxberry, is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching heights of between 3 m and 4 m, occasionally 10 m (SA Tree List No. 38).

Its habitat is stream banks, high rainfall temperate forests and grassland. In South Africa the species distribution lies from the Cape Peninsula and along the south and east coasts, widespread north of the Vaal River and beyond the northern border.

The tree has narrowly elliptic leaves with serrated margins and yellow glands on both surfaces, especially below.

The small and inconspicuous flowers grow in short axillary spikes. The tree being dioecious, sexes are on separate trees and fruit borne on the female trees. Female flowers are green or yellow-green, the male ones darker yellow to orange.

The small spherical fruits are black, up to 3 mm in diameter and covered in a white wax (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997).