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.
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  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • flowering shoots

    flowering shoots

  • leaf

    leaf