Wild orange, American cherry laurel, Carolina laurel-cherry
Prunus caroliniana
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows 12 m high and spreads 6 m wide. The leaves are glossy green and have smooth edges. They are 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. The leaves are narrowly oval and slightly turned under at the edge. The leaves have an aroma when crushed. The leaves are shiny dark green above and paler underneath. The flowers are 5 mm wide with 5 small rounded cream petals. They occur in dense masses. The fruit are small and shiny and black. They are 10-12 mm long.
There are about 200 Prunus species.
Where it is found
Temperate. It grows up to 150 m altitude in SE region of USA. It suits hardiness zones 7-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, North America, USA
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds