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Rosaceae
Laurel Cherry
Prunus laurocerasus
Victory and treachery.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Prunus
- Native to
- Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 15-30 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- moist, well-drained, adaptable
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 6-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Its leaves release hydrogen cyanide when crushed, giving off a distinctive bitter almond scent.
- Despite its toxicity, it has been used for centuries as an ornamental hedge plant across Europe.
- The berries turn from red to black when ripe and are eaten by birds, which spread the seeds widely.
- Victorian-era entomologists used crushed laurel cherry leaves in killing jars to dispatch insect specimens.
- It is considered invasive in parts of the Pacific Northwest and the United Kingdom.
Color meanings
0
victory
1
ambition
2
perfidy