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Prunus caroliniana
Also called Carolina Laurel Cherry, Cherry Laurel, Laurel Cherry, Mock Orange, Wild Orange
Carolina laurelcherry is a small to medium evergreen tree native to the southeastern US, grown for its glossy leaves, fragrant spring flowers and tough, deer-resistant habit. It does best in full sun and well-drained, acidic soil.
Prunus caroliniana, known as the Carolina laurelcherry, Carolina cherry laurel, Carolina cherry, or cherry laurel, is a North American species of Prunus that forms a small evergreen tree.
The species has long been an ornamental tree and landscape hedge shrub in gardens in many parts of the Atlantic states of the US. The tree is considered hardy in USDA zones 7B through 10A. It is often used in areas where a tough broadleaved evergreen tree is needed of modest size. It prefers full sun and well-drained, acidic soil, often developing chlorosis if grown in overly alkaline soil. It is known to grow to elevations of 152 m (500 ft).
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.
The species is native to the lowlands of Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and westward to central Texas. The species also has escaped into the wild in a few places in California.
Prunus adenopoda · Red stinkwood · Prunus aitchisonii · Alabama cherry · Prunus alaica · Allegheny plum · American plum · Prunus amplifolia · Almond · Desert peach · Chickasaw plum · Prunus annularis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus caroliniana by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
