[6] The fruits are tiny black cherries about 1 cm (0.5 in) in diameter, which persist through winter and are primarily consumed by birds (February–April).[10]. Find your USDA hardiness zone using the state map from Grow It (see Resources). Reproductively mature trees have entire margins, whereas immature ones often have subtle serrations. The buds appear on a raceme of about 4"-6" long, and are small, round, and alternatively arranged. [6][7][8] The species has also escaped into the wild in a few places in California.[9]. It is often used in areas where a tough broadleaved evergreen tree is needed of modest size. Prunus caroliniana, known as the Carolina laurelcherry,[5] Carolina cherry laurel, cherry laurel, or Carolina cherry, is a small evergreen flowering tree native to the lowlands of Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and westward to central Texas. Plant a cherry tree in the spring, selecting either a bare root cherry tree or a container cherry tree that's 1 to 2 years old. The tree has alternate leaves with a finely toothed margin, inconspicuous glands on the stem, and yellow-brown pubescence on the underside of the leaf. Prunus caroliniana, known as the Carolina laurelcherry, Carolina cherry laurel, cherry laurel, or Carolina cherry, is a small evergreen flowering tree native to the lowlands of Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and westward to central Texas. Wild cherry flowers appear in dense clusters at the ends of the slender branches of the trees. The leaves and branches contain high amounts of cyanogenic glycosides that break down into hydrogen cyanide when damaged, making it a potential toxic hazard to grazing livestock and children. The bark of the tree is marked by horizontal lenticels. The tree is considered hardy in USDA zones 7B through 10A. The leaves are dark green, alternate, shiny, leathery, elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–12 cm (2–4.5 in) long, usually with an entire (smooth) margin, but occasionally serrulate (having subtle serrations), and with cuneate bases. Leaves are 2 to 5 inches long with bright green leaves that turn yellow to red in the fall. North Carolina fits in zones 6b to 8. Gardeners in zone 6b can plant either sweet or tart cherry trees. The species has also escaped into the wild in a few places in California. [10] The twigs are red to grayish brown, slender, and glabrous. It prefers full sun and well-drained, acidic soil, often developing chlorosis if grown in overly alkaline soil. [11], Fragrant white to cream-colored flowers are produced in racemes (stalked bunches) 5–8 cm (2–3 in) long in the late winter to early spring. Wild cherry trees are the largest type of cherry tree, capable of growing to 100 feet with trunks up to 4 feet thick. They have an oval or pyramid shape with branches that hang downward. [14], 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T64120952A156821631.en, "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species", Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map. Black Cherry is a deciduous tree that may grow 60 to 80 feet tall and is found in all parts of NC but grows best in the mountains. Prunus caroliniana is not to be confused with its European relative Prunus laurocerasus, which is also called Cherry Laurel, though mainly known as English Laurel in the U.S. Prunus caroliniana is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree which grows to about 5–13 meters (16–43 ft) tall, with a spread of about 6–9 meters (20–30 ft). [13], Prunus caroliniana has long been an ornamental tree and landscape hedge shrub in gardens in many parts of the Atlantic states of the United States. [6] Due to this, it is considered highly deer-resistant. Calflora taxon report, University of California, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prunus_caroliniana&oldid=961539768, Taxonbars with automatically added basionyms, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 June 2020, at 02:20. Once flowered, the flowers appear as small, about ½" across, and consist of 5 white obovately shaped petals, 5 green sepals, 15-22 stamens, and a central pistil with a flattened stigma on each individual flower. Host plant for coral hairstreak, eastern tiger swallowtail, red-spotted purple, spring azures, summer azures, and viceroy butterflies where adult butterflies nectar from the spring flowers while the fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, quail, raccoons, foxes, and small mammals. It is known to grow to elevations of 152 m (500 ft). [10] When crushed, its leaves and green twigs emit a fragrance described as resembling maraschino cherries[12] or almond extract.