code: 534
The small black cherries which appear in autumn in bunches
Family: Lauraceae
Common name: CHERRY LAUREL
Plant Classification: Hardy tree Hardy shrub
Minimum Height: 1.0 meter
Maximum Height: 3.0 meters
Packet Content(approx.): 10 large seeds
The common name “cherry laurel” refers to the similarity of foliage and appearance to the true laurel, Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, family Lauraceae), however, the two plants are in different families and are unrelated. The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer producing attractive creamy-white flowers with numerous yellowish stamens. The small black cherries which appear in autumn in bunches, are edible, although rather bland compared to the fruit of apricots, true cherries, plums, and peaches, to which they are related.
Toxicity:
The rest of the of the plant is poisonous, the leaves having the smell of almonds when crushed. The insides of the seeds within the berries are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin.
Sowing advice:
These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and cold-stored for several months. They should be sown into well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered to their own depth with sand or grit. No artificial heat is needed; the seed tray is best left in a cool spot outside and kept moist. Seeds germinate very slowly indeed in the spring after a chilling in the cold compost, regardless of when they are sown. Some seeds may take more than a year to germinate.
Habitat:
The species is found in woods and in shrubbery places as an escape in Northern Ireland and commonly planted in parks and gardens. The species that are mainly found in Trabzon/Turkey (The area of Black Sea) are categorized as endemic plants.
