NAME:
COMMON – Cherry Laurel
BOTANICAL – Prunus caroliniana
FAMILY – Rosaceae

DERIVATION:
Native from coastal Virginia to northern Florida to Louisiana

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS:
Evergreen small rounded tree approximately 20’ wide and 30’ tall with shiny green leaves, ripe black drupe fruit in fall.  Fast growing, and reseeds widely.

GROWTH LOCATION:
Adaptable but grows best in moist, well-drained soil and prefers full sun to partial shade.

ATTRIBUTES, VALUE, UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
Evergreen screening plant that provides fruit for birds and other wildlife. (Leaves, seeds, and stems are poisonous if consumed by humans.) It is a larval host for many butterflies, including our state butterfly Easter Tiger Swallowtail.  (Landscape use should consider cultivars ‘Bright and Tight’ or ‘Cherry Ruffles’ for a more compact style.)

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