Carolina Cherry-Laurel Prunus caroliniana
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PROO-nus kair-oh-lin-ee-AY-nah
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Carolina cherry laurel is a broadleaf evergreen, woody shrub to small tree that may rapidly grow 15 to 35 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. It has a dense pyramidal to rounded form and is in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is native to the southern United States.
Full sun is preferred but it is tolerant of partial shade as long as the soil is moist and well-drained. Established plants have good drought tolerance. It is easy to transplant, can withstand heavy pruning, and is moderately salt tolerant. Propagate it by seed or stem cutting. It can become weedy in the landscape due to suckering and self-seeding.
The fresh leaves of this plant have a maraschino cherry fragrance when crushed and glands on the lower surface of the leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous yet fragrant.
Use in small groups or a mass planting for borders, hedges or foundation plantings. It is suitable for naturalized, riparian or woodland areas as well as a specimen in butterfly, native or pollinator gardens.
Fire Risk: This plant has a medium flammability rating.
Quick ID Hints:
- Evergreen lustrous leaves reticulate below.
- Leaves with two glands on lower blade base and near margin.
- Inflorescences short, axillary racemes and white flowered.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Borers can be a problem particularly with trees under stress. Mites and scale and plum curculio (weevils) can also be a problem. Fungal and viral issues are occasional problems.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- 'Bright 'N' Tight'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- caroliniana
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- southern USA.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Provides winter and extreme weather cover. Host plant for Coral Hairstreak, Red-spotted Purple, Spring/Summer Azures, and Viceroy butterflies. This is also a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north. Adult butterflies source nectar from the spring flowers and bees source the pollen. Fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, quail, raccoons, foxes, and small mammals. White-tailed deer browse foliage.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Green drupes that mature lustrous, dark black, ovoid subglobose, and are less than an inch in diameter. They mature with a large pith (stone). Fruit displays from September to October. Green fruits are cyanogenic, but immature seeds are not. Ripe fruits are free from cyanide, but their mature seeds are strongly cyanogenic.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The Carolina Laurel Cherry has fragrant, small white flowers (each to 5/16" across) that bloom in dense, short, axillary racemes (1" long) in late winter to early spring (March to April) and are somewhat inconspicuous amongst the leaves.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are 2-3" long, alternate, simple, glossy, oblong to oblong-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, acute, cuneate to broad cuneate, entire as adult, spinose-serrate as seedlings, and are lustrous dark green at maturity. Leaves have pointed tips. The lower surface bears a pare of small glands near the base of the blade near the margins, and are reticulate below.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Patchy
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- The bark is smooth and gray to reddish-brown with numerous lenticels. Develops gray patches and splits with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Naturalized Area
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Flowering Tree
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Small Tree
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, panting, shock.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin & prunasin)
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Stems
