cerasus + lauro – cherry + laurel, referring to common name that signifies its resemblance to true laurel

Native range: SW Europe

Leaves:

• evergreen
• alternate
• simple
• slightly serrate margin
• glossy dark green
• oblong or obovate-oblong
• up to 33” long
• acuminate tip
• acute/cuneate base

Flowers:

• inflorescence – elongate racemes
• 5-merous
• white
• .25” wide
• perfect
• superior ovary
• fragrant

Fruit:

• blue-black drupe

Other characteristics:

• shrub or small tree 20’+
• used for hedges and regrows rapidly after pruning, with new growth reddish in color

Relevant info:

• very hardy
• of concern to gardeners:
  • susceptible to shot-hole disease, powdery mildew and root rot
  • but better resistance than most other species in Prunus to insects and other diseases
• several dwarf cultivars (3-8’)
• escaped cultivation on the Pacific coast west of the Cascades
  • classified as an invasive species of concern
  • second most common invasive tree species in Seattle’s urban forests

Ecology & Adaptations:

• native to SE Europe, Libya, and temperate Asia
• escaped, invasive ornamental that occupies waste areas, riparian thickets, shaded ravines, understory of urban and second-growth forests
• fast-growing and able to outcompete native woody species
• pollination by bees, moths, and butterflies
• seed dispersal by birds that have eaten fruit
• vegetative reproduction:
  • spreads laterally by layering (re-rooting when stems touch the ground)
  • will sucker from the roots and re-sprout if stems are damaged
• leaves, fruit & twigs contain toxin (cyanide) that protects plant from herbivores