Prunus caroliniana
Common name:
Carolina Cherrylaurel
American Cherrylaurel
Pronunciation:
PROO-nus ka-ro-lin-i-A-na
Family:
Rosaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Evergreen shrub or small tree, 20-30 ft (6-9 m) tall, 40 ft (12 m) in tree form, and 15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m) wide or more, usually dense, rounded but often with an irregular outline. Leaves alternate, simple, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 5-7(10) cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, sharp apex, base wedge-shaped, margin entire or with spiny teeth near the apex, glossy dark green; petiole with 2 small glands, red if in the sun. Flowers white, small (about 6 mm), 5-petaled, appear on 5-8 cm long clusters (racemes) on long stalks, in late winter or early spring. Fruit blue-black to glossy black when ripe, about 1 cm in diameter; birds spread seeds and seedlings common.
- Sun to part shade. Does best in moist, well-drained soils, under these conditions it grows very fast. Can be pruned and it is often grown as a screen or sheared hedge.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 7 Native range from costal Virginia to northern Florida and west to Louisiana.
- caroliniana: of Carolina
- Silverton, Oregon: The Oregon Garden.
Click image to enlarge
-
plant habit, flowering
-
flowering shoots
-
leaf
