Carolina cherry laurel is a popular evergreen shrub , and it ’s an excellent option for hedgerow and privacy screens . The plant ’s beneficial features are its attractive thickly growing foliage and showy flush . Carolina cherry Stan Laurel works are identified by shiny green lance - shaped leaves , attractive blanched flowers , and black berry in the surrender . Both the leaves and flowers farm a pleasant fragrance .
Carolina cherry tree Stan Laurel has many use in the garden landscape . But most gardeners jimmy this dense shrub as anevergreen privateness hedging , living fence , or windbreak . Additionally , you’re able to plant a Carolina cherry laurel as a foundation planting , margin bush , or specimen industrial plant .
Another reason why this cherry laurel variety is so democratic is due to its low - maintenance characteristics . The Carolina cherry laurel is a sturdy plant that perform well in full sun to part nicety . And even full tone is n’t damaging to its growth . The plant tolerates most soils and conditions . All you need is some light pruning once a year to maintain an informal evergreen hedge in your front or backyard .
This article is a comprehensive guide to grow a Carolina cherry laurel hedge plant in your garden . Descriptions and pictorial matter of laurel leaves , peak , and berries will help identify this stunning plant .
About Carolina Cherry Laurel (Prunus caroliniana)
Carolina Cherry Laurel ( Prunus caroliniana )
Carolina cherry Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel is avariety of aboriginal bush in the genusPrunusand evergreen familyRosaceae . The beautiful hedge industrial plant grows 15 to 20 foot . ( 4.5 – 6 metre ) tall . This cherry laurel wreath salmagundi has a dense , pyramidal to oval habit and fast growth . Because it thrive in most land , it raise easily in most landscape .
The namecherry laurelcomes from the classifiable shape of the bush ’s leaves . The pointed , leathery parting wait like Stan Laurel leafage from the unrelatedbay laurel plant(Laurus nobilis ) . However , it ’s dangerous to get the leaf shuffle up because Carolina cherry laurel leaves are poisonous , unlike the aromatic bay parting .
Similarly , you should n’t run through any of the black berries growing on the cherry laurel . Although the modest berry - like drupes look like lilliputian cherries , they also contain toxic chemical substance . Therefore , if you grow a Carolina cherry Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel in your landscape , it ’s vital to see darling and kid do n’t consume the leaves or berries .
Compared to the cherry laurel wreath ( Prunus laurocerasus ) andskip laurel(Prunus laurocerasus‘Schipkaensis ’ ) , the Carolina cherry red laurel wreath is n’t as cold - hardy . Therefore , the shrub is only suitable for growing as a hedge , foundation plant , or perimeter in USDA zones 7 through 9 . However , this makes the bushy shrub pop for hedges in southern states and Florida .
Like other shrubs in thePrunusgenus , the Carolina cherry red laurel has speedy growth . you could expect the bush to grow one to two feet ( 30 – 60 curium ) annually in ideal conditions . All you require to do to encourage fast growth is keep the soil moist and well - drain . However , the good news is that Carolina cherry laurel is adrought - kind evergreen plant plantonce instal .
Carolina Cherry Laurel Hedge
Carolina cherry tree laurel wreath is a slap-up choice for hedges or privacy living fencing
A Carolina cherry laurel plant creates a beautiful privacy screen , backyard hedging , livelihood fence , or shelterbelt . The dumb bush grows cursorily and adds year - long colour to your landscape painting . flower in the spring , berry in the fall , and evergreen leaves willenhance the beauty of your property .
Carolina cherry laurel is alow - maintenance hedge plantand is well-situated to keep as an evergreen hedgerow . To keep the hedge anatomy , dress once a class in springiness or summertime will see to it that the glossy foliation stay neat and grow well . Generally , the cherry red laurel is easy to keep between 3 and 6 foot . ( 1 – 2 m ) .
Carolina Cherry Laurel Leaves
Carolina cherry red laurel leaves
Leaves on the Carolina cherry laurel plant are identified as broadleaf evergreen , with an oblong , egg-shaped anatomy and pointed tip . The leaves unremarkably have smooth margins , but sometimes they have pernicious serrated margins . The duncish , leathered , glossy green leaves have a smooth flavor , and they grow alternately in a dim-witted arrangement on the shrub . The cherry laurel leaves bill 2 ” – 3 ” ( 5 – 7.5 cm ) long .
Carolina cherry laurel leaves can sometimes have elusive serrated margins
When mature , theevergreen Carolina cherry bay wreath shrubfoliage has a obscure green , lustrous appearance . The shiny leave-taking grow obtusely on the shrub , making it an ideal plant for protect privacy in your backyard .
An identifying feature of speech of Carolina cerise leaves is that the leaves give off an aroma of maraschino cherry or Amygdalus communis excerption when trounce . However , this is a word of advice because the venomous cherry laurel leaves contain prussic acid ( nitrile ) and can stimulate severe wellness complications if eaten .
How to Plant Carolina Cherry Laurel Hedge
imbed the Carolina laurel wreath cerise shrubs 2 to 3 foot . ( 0.6 – 1 molarity ) aside to grow a Stan Laurel hedging . The hedge will grow quicker and denser by planting at 2 foot . ( 60 centimeter ) asunder . To guarantee a narrow laurel wreath hedge , you’re able to trim the bush every year to keep its width at around 18 ” ( 45 cm ) wide .
To make planting a laurel hedge easy , some gardener urge digging a deep rather than item-by-item planting hollow . The planting depth should be 12 ” ( 30 cm ) deep , and the roots should be just below the surface . When back - filling the planting cakehole , it ’s a in force idea to amend the soil with rotten manure or compost .
Regularly cut back the upper branches to allow for light to separate out through the foliage . This pruning peak helps your beautiful cherry laurel hedging originate dumb to the land . In addition , you’re able to prune a few inches of the branch peak to encourage the flora to spread out .
Carolina Cherry Laurel Fruit
The small black Carolina cherry laurel berry - like fruit is venomous for humans but can be eaten by birds
The Carolina laurel wreath cherry tree fruit looks like minor black oval cherries with legato cutis . However , the cherry laurel black fruit is n’t clustering of berries , but they are sarcoid drupes with a large rock ( pith ) in the center . The “ berries ” emerge green and ripen to reddish - purple then black by late summer or early fall .
Black Carolina cherry laurel berries measure around 0.5 ” ( 1.3 cm ) in diam . Although the berries look appealing , they are vicious , just like other parts of the shrub . However , the angelic berries with their Maraschino cherry scent draw bird and wildlife . The berries also persist on the George H.W. Bush throughout the winter .
Carolina Cherry Laurel Flowers
Carolina cerise bay wreath white flowers have a cylindric shape
Carolina cherry laurel shrubs are easy to identify in former spring , thanks to their cluster of cylindric attractive blank flowers . Tiny white four or five - petalled flowers make up cylindrical racemes ( clump ) that step 2 ” to 3 ” ( 5 – 7.5 cm ) long .
The cherry red Stan Laurel flowers have a angelic aroma and blossom among the leaves , attracting pollinators in leaping .
How to Identify Carolina Cherry Laurel
Carolina cherry red laurel designation is by its aromatic pointed green leaves , cylindrical white peak , and obtuse growth . The leathery leaves are lance - shaped with a glossy lustre . When in bloom , white-hot bloom in springtime give off a pleasant aroma . After bloom , clusters of green stone fruit come forth that call on black by late fall .
How to Use Carolina Cherry Laurel in the Landscape
Carolina cherry Stan Laurel shrubs have many habit in a landscaped garden
Carolina cherry laurel is a versatile evergreen bush for gardens in the S like Florida , the Carolinas , Texas , and California . Its most popular manipulation is as a natural roadblock , privateness screen , or evergreen hedge . However , the shrub ’s pyramidal crown and tolerance for most conditions mean that it ’s an idealistic landscaping bush .
The Carolina cerise laurel ’s tolerance for pruning means it ’s ideal for plant at the front of the theatre . you could plant the decorative shrub along the house foundations or use it as a specimen lawn tree . And planted in a sturdy container , the shrub ’s attractive pattern is ideal for an entranceway or container garden .
If you have a stocky garden with limited space , then planting a dwarf Carolina cherry red laurel cultivar is idealistic . For example , thePrunus caroliniana‘Compacta ’ is half the usual acme and width of the typical cherry laurel industrial plant . This means you may cut work in the garden by eliminating regular pruning to uphold its shape .
How to Plant Carolina Cherry Laurel
Carolina cherry red laurel grows well in most states with comparatively strong climate . The most vital broker for found a cerise laurel is that the undercoat is well - drain and does n’t stay doughy . you’re able to plant the evergreen hedging in urban environments and coastal regions .
Dig a hole 1.5 time wider than the etymon ball to plant the bush . The hole depth should allow the cherry red laurel wreath to grow at the same tiptop as the container . Place the stock-still nursery plant in the hole and backfill with native soil amended with loamy compost . tauten the earth with the spade as you go to extinguish any air pockets .
A top bakshish when planting a nursery plant from a container is to prune off any base circled around the radical ball . Failure to do this can leave in a weak Carolina cherry tree bay wreath that is susceptible to disease .
How to Care for Carolina Cherry Laurel
Like most cherry Stan Laurel plants , the Carolina variety has few charge requirements . As long as the dry land never remains inert and the plant is protected from freezing weather , it should thrive in your yard . However , there are a few care hint to ensure the cherry tree Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel execute at its best .
Where to Plant Carolina Cherry Laurel
Plant Carolina cherry tree Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel where it gets enough sunshine . But you do n’t have to concern too much because a cherry laurel will also perform well in fond shade . So even raise in the phantasm wo n’t touch on its growth too much . Ideally , the laurel plant should get at least four minute of sunlight daily .
Another crucial aid consideration is not to plant the Carolina cherry laurel where it gets prolonged soil saturation . Therefore , if your garden has clay soil and poor drain , you should amend it withpeat mossor constitutive matter to improve drain .
How to Water Carolina Cherry Laurel
Once launch , the Carolina cerise laurel is drouth - tolerant and involve little — if any — additional irrigation . But you may need to water the priming often enough to keep it damp during hot , ironical summers . However , you should n’t water a cherry tree laurel so often that the soil is forever wet .
Top tip when growing Carolina cherry laurel : A layer oforganic mulchcan help keep the soil moist , supply nutrients for the hardy plant , andkeep green goddess at bay .
How to Fertilize Carolina Cherry Laurel
fecundation is not necessary to further a Carolina cherry bay wreath shrub to flourish . The easy - care bush do well in most soil types . However , the cerise bay wreath will struggle in poor soil , nutrient - wanting soil , and rocky soil . So , applying abalanced fertilizer for evergreen treesis helpful in these cases .
practice a slow - liberation tree fertilizer with an NPK rating of 15 - 15 - 15 . Apply the granules to the drip line in the spring and thoroughly irrigate the ground . instead , you may also put on a soluble balanced fertilizer in spring and late summer to encourage hefty ontogeny .
Pruning Carolina Cherry Laurel
To clip a Carolina cherry Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel , take away about one - third of some of the upper branches after the industrial plant has finished blooming . This pruning technique set aside Inner Light to dribble through the foliage to the lower limbs to encourage development . You should also remove any suckers that emerge from the primary stem .
As with most cosmetic bush , trim down any pathologic , decaying , or dead branches .
It is necessary to prune the Carolina cherry laurel every spring for the first eight to ten years . Keeping the top part of the hedging dilutant helps the dense bush turn impregnable sidelong limb . After that , reduce the glossy , leathery leaves is enough to maintain the hedge material body .
How to Propagate Carolina Cherry Laurel
Carolina cherry red laurel propagation is by taking stem thinning in spring . First , habituate sharp , desexualise pruning shear to remove a few salubrious stems 6 ” ( 15 cm ) long . Next , dim the cutting end in a rooting hormone and the stem in individual pots fill with a moist potting medium .
After planting the cut stem , put the container in a sheltered but sunny part of your garden . weewee the ground from time to time to keep it moist . It involve around a year for roots to establish themselves in the pot . The cherry bay wreath steady down cutting will be quick for set in the ground the undermentioned spring .
Pests Affecting Carolina Cherry Laurel Growth
Carolina cherry red laurel bush are generally pest and disease resistant , specially when they receive the proper care . However , baffling pests on a cherry laurel includespider mites , caterpillars , aphids , vine weevils , scurf insects , and whitefly . However , bugs , insects , and mites rarely cause more than superficial harm to an established cherry laurel hedge .
employ the garden hose to remove aphids or whitefly move your shrub . A strong good time of weewee should be enough to displace the nettlesome bug .
Like most plants in the garden , caterpillars can do problemsby alimentation on the leaves . If you find caterpillar activity , the best solvent is to absent them by hand and leave out them into oleaginous water . As a caterpillar prevention method , you’re able to enforce glutinous horticultural tapeline .
Pests like scale insects and weevils are unmanageable to recognise . However , the good word is that they seldom make any severe problem to a Carolina cherry laurel shrub .
Diseases Affecting Carolina Cherry Laurel Growth
Carolina cherry laurel plants are typically audacious bush resistant to various diseases . However , exuberant humidity or overwatering causes laurel shrubs to develop powdery mildew , cherry tree laurel shot hole , and root rot .
How can you tell if plant diseases have involve your Carolina cerise laurel bush ? Here are a few star sign to look for .
Cherry laurel powdery mould appears as white eyepatch on the leaves and seem like a dusting of flour . This fungal foliar transmission is harmless , but it ruins the appearance of your hedge . To keep powdery mildew , cut back the branches to increase air flow . you’re able to also check outsome cure for mould problem on leaves .
Cherry laurel wreath root putrefaction affects the industrial plant ’s root , causing the leave to turn yellowish , brown , and finally black . To prevent roots rotting on a cerise laurel , ascertain water drains well from the shrub and avoid persistent soggy grime .
fond , humid conditions can cause fungous infections , resulting in Carolina cherry bay wreath shot holes . The leaf display signaling of brown spots that eventually turn into cakehole on the farewell . Carolina cherry Stan Laurel typically recover well , and there is usually no lasting damage to the plant .
Is Carolina Cherry Laurel Toxic?
Carolina cherry tree laurel arrest toxic substance and should not be ingested
Carolina cherry laurel moderate toxic substance called cyanogenic glycosides that are poisonous to humans and beast . Therefore , you should also quash eat the leaves or black berries of any varieties of cherry red Stan Laurel plants , includingPrunus caroliniana .
Other Varieties of Cherry Laurel
hypothesise you have a stocky garden or desire to grow low - growing cherry laurel shrubs in your front or backyard . In that compositor’s case , there are several hardyPrunus carolinianacultivars to prefer from .
Prunus caroliniana‘Compacta ’ — This gnome cherry tree laurel cultivar develop 8 to 10 ft . ( 2.4 – 3 m ) tall and tolerates heat , salty melodic line , and drought . The compact shrub has closely space arm giving it an attractive appearance .
genus Prunus caroliniana‘Cherry Ruffles ’ — The high spot of ‘ Cherry Ruffles ’ is the wavy or ruffled foliage giving the plants a distinct appearance . novel foliage emerge yellow or bronze and becomes shining green .
Prunus caroliniana‘Monus ’ — Called ‘ undimmed N tight , ’ this stunning evergreen plant cherry tree laurel cultivar grows 8 to 10 ft . ( 2.4 – 3 molarity ) tall . It has silver - green foliation and clusters of showy white flowers .
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