Cherry laurel
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| iCherry Laurel | ||||||||||||||||
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| Prunus laurocerasus L. |
The Cherry Laurel or Laurel Cherry (Prunus laurocerasus) is a species in the genus Prunus, native to southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe.
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5-10 m tall, rarely to 18 m tall, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter. The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, 10-25 cm long and 4-8 cm broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers bud in April in the northern hemisphere, and appear in erect 10-20 cm racemes of small white flowers. The fruits are small cherries 1-2 cm diameter, turning black as they ripen. Unlike the rest of the plant, which is poisonous, the berries are edible, although they don't taste very good.
[edit] Cultivation
It has been widely planted as an ornamental plant all over the world, and has become naturalised widely in temperate latitudes. It is often used for screening, and also as a mass landscape and ground cover plant. Most forms are tough shrubs that can cope with difficult growing conditions (including shaded and dry conditions), and which respond well to pruning. Many cultivars have been selected. The foliage is also used for cut greenery in floristry.
It is often called laurel because of the similarity of foliage and appearance to the true laurel, Laurus nobilis. However, they are not related.
