SCIENTIFIC NAME: Prunus caroliniana

COMMON NAME: Carolina laurelcherry, cherrylaurel

FLOWERS: White flower clusters in the spring that look like test tube cleaners. 2 - 4" long.

FRUIT: Black berry in late summer.

GROWTH HABIT: Grows 10' to 20' tall.

LEAVES: Alternate, glossy, and up to 5" long. Have a reddish petiole and either serrate or entire margins (can have both or either one on the same tree). Crushed foliage has a distinct odor. Generally glabrous.

OTHER: Hardy from zone 7 to 10. Likes full sun and well a drained soil. Can get shot-hole fungus. A member of the Rosaceae family. Can be used as a small tree or a hedge. Often called cherrylaurel.