← Bedfellow

Carolina Laurelcherry

Prunus caroliniana

Glossy evergreen with fragrant white flower spikes in late winter and black fruit for birds. A fast screen or hedge, though its foliage is toxic to livestock.

Family

Rosaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

15–20 ft

Spacing

10–15 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

February, March, April

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

songbirds, pollinators

Caterpillar hosts

~456 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen

Native states

AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX