Carolina laurelcherry
Prunus caroliniana
Summary 3
Prunus caroliniana, known as the Carolina laurelcherry, Carolina cherry laurel, cherry laurel, or Carolina cherry, is a small evergreen flowering tree native to the lowlands of Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and westward to central Texas. The species has also escaped into the wild in a few places in California.
Description 4
Prunus caroliniana is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree which grows to about 5–13 meters (16–43 ft) tall, with a spread of about 6–9 meters (20–30 ft). The leaves are dark green, alternate, shiny, leathery, elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–12 cm (2–4.5 in) long, usually with an entire (smooth) margin, but occasionally serrulate (having subtle serrations), and with cuneate bases. Reproductively mature trees have entire margins, whereas immature ones often have subtle serrations. The twigs are red to grayish brown, slender, and glabrous.
Fragrant white to cream-colored flowers are produced in racemes (stalked bunches) 5–8 cm (2–3 in) long in the late winter to early spring. The fruits are tiny black cherries about 1 cm (0.5 in) in diameter, which persist through winter and are primarily consumed by birds (February - April).
The leaves and branches contain high amounts of cyanogenic glycosides that break down into hydrogen cyanide when damaged, making it a potential toxic hazard to grazing livestock and children. Due to this, it is considered highly deer-resistant. When crushed, its leaves and green twigs emit a fragrance described as resembling maraschino cherries or almond extract.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Karsen Larue, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Karsen Larue
- (c) michaelgold, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by michaelgold
- Adapted by Jenn Mercer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_caroliniana
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Calflora
- CalPhotos
- eFloras.org
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- World Flora Online
iNat Map
| Form | tree |
|---|---|
| Fruit type | Drupe |
| Fruit color | Black |
| Fruit season | Fall, Summer |
| Leaf arrangement | Alternate |
| Simple/compound | Simple |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen |
| Leaf shape | Lanceolate |
| Leaf margin | Entire, Toothed |
| Leaf texture | Glossy, Paler below |
| Bark color | Brown, Gray, Red |
| Bark texture | Lenticels, Smooth |
| Flower color | white |
| Bloom time | Spring |
