Tree Description
Carolina laurelcherries are small or medium-sized evergreen trees that grow to 40 feet with a trunk to 18” in diameter. They have a narrow, dense crown of dark green foliage.
Range / Site Description
These trees occur in southeast Texas extending westward occasionally to the valley of the Guadalupe River. They are usually found on rich, moist, well-drained bottomlands. They are also planted throughout East Texas as landscape trees or tall hedges.
Leaf
The leaves are simple and alternate, 2” to 4” long and 1” to 1.5” wide, and elliptical or oblong-lanceolate in shape. The leaf’s upper surface is shiny and dark green; the underside is paler. The leaf margin is smooth or remotely-toothed, with a few tiny sharp teeth. The leaf is aromatic when crushed.
Flower & Fruit
Short clusters of small white flowers appear in the leaf axils in early spring.
The fruit is a shiny black drupe, borne in loose clusters, that is about ½” long, oval-shaped, and pointed at the tip. It ripens in the fall and persists until the following spring.
Interesting Facts
The leaves contain high levels of hydrocyanic (or prussic) acid, making them poisonous or even fatal to browsing livestock, especially after a heavy frost or a drought that withers the leaves and concentrates the poison.
Species Summary
| Scientific Name: | Prunus caroliniana |
| Secondary Names: | Cherry Laurel |
| Tree Type: | Evergreen |
| Dimensions: | Height: 40 feet Trunk Diameter: 18 inches |
| Leaf Structure: | Simple, alternate |
| Leaf Size: | 2-4 inches long and 1-1½ inches wide |
| Leaf Shape: | Elliptical or oblong-lanceolate |
| Leaf Margin: | Smooth or remotely-toothed |
| Additional Information: | iNaturalist – Carolina Laurelcherry |
Source: Texas A&M Forest Service Trees of Texas – Carolina Laurelcherry