what does laurel look like

What do laurel plants look like?

Appearance of the Tree Leaves: The tree's shiny oblong leaves range from three to six inches long. The topsides of the leaves are leathery and dark green while the undersides are light green. Flowers: In late spring the English Laurel is covered with fragrant, white cup-shaped flowers.

Is laurel poisonous to humans?

With the exception of Bay Laurel, the short answer is yes. All other Laurel hedging varieties (including berries) are poisonous to both humans and animals. Laurel hedge plants produce hydrocyanic acid which can cause serious complications if ingested.

How do you identify laurels?

The easiest way to identify a bay laurel tree is by its shiny, smooth, dark-green lanceolate leaves. Leaves grow densely on laurel trees, and the plant has a recognizable pyramidal crown. Clusters of small yellow flowers decorate the bushy shrub in spring, followed by dark purple-black berries.

Is laurel a tree or bush?

Prunus laurocerasus Cherry laurel, also called English laurel, is a large evergreen shrub or small tree often used for landscaping, usually as a hedge. Related to cherry trees, cherry laurel gets its common name from its resemblance to the true laurel tree.

Does burning laurel give off cyanide?

Re: Does burning laurel logs release cyanide? With adequate air supplied to the fire and proper ventilation, the cyanide wouldn't be a problem. If you don't have enough air and ventilation then, whatever sort of wood you are burning, the carbon monoxide will kill you.

Are laurels poisonous to dogs?

If your pet has eaten any part of a laurel shrub, contact your veterinarian immediately. The flowering shrub laurel contains a powerful neurotoxin called grayanotoxin which can disturb the proper function of the body's cell membranes. Laurel poisoning should be treated as an emergency. Protect yourself and your pet.

How do you tell the difference between a bay tree and a laurel?

If they have both a pistil and a ring of stamens, it's a California bay; if it has only half of the plant sexual apparatus, it's a bay laurel.

Is bay leaf same as laurel?

bay leaf, also called laurel leaf, leaf of the sweet bay tree (Laurus nobilis), an evergreen of the family Lauraceae, indigenous to countries bordering the Mediterranean.

Is bay tree and laurel the same?

Bay tree (Laurus nobilis), also known by various names such as bay laurel, sweet bay, Grecian laurel, or true laurel, is appreciated for the aromatic leaves that add a distinctive flavor to a variety of hot dishes.

What months do laurels grow?

Cherry Laurel cell grown and pot grown plants are available all year round. Cherry Laurel growth rate is relatively fast at approx 30/60cm which makes it a very economical way to achieve a good height of evergreen hedge. It should be trimmed to shape in Spring or Autumn.

Does laurel have invasive roots?

This isn't even a tree; it's a big shrub. The most troublesome trees are those with deep, penetrating root systems, but laurel's is particularly shallow. Most arboriculturists would argue that a safe tree-to-house distance is about half the eventual size of the tree, although insurers are usually more cautious.

How tall do laurels grow?

An unpruned English laurel can reach up to 40 feet in height, but keeping it around 10 to 12 feet tall makes it a perfect backyard privacy screen.

What happens if you eat a laurel leaf?

About Edible Bay Leaves For starters, the leaves produced by Laurus nobilis are not toxic. However, certain species with the name “laurel” or “bay” may actually be poisonous and should be avoided, while others may be perfectly safe. Don't take chances if you are uncertain.

What happens if you touch mountain laurel?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it can even be fatal to both humans and some animals. The way it takes victims out isn't overly pleasant either. Consume it in high enough quantities and your lips, mouth and throat burn. Nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, convulsions, and increasingly paralysis follow.

How poisonous is English laurel?

Also known as English laurel or common laurel, cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an innocuous-looking small tree or large shrub that is commonly used as a hedging, specimen or border plant. Ingesting any part of the poisonous plant, especially the leaves or seeds, can cause potentially fatal respiratory problems.

Is laurel OK to burn?

Laurel – (Scientific Name – Laurus Nobilis) This needs to be well seasoned and produces a good flame. However, it only has a reasonable heat output, making it not ideal for all types of fires.

How tall is a Texas mountain laurel?

Also known as mescal bean, the Texas mountain laurel ( Dermatophyllum secundiflorum syn. Calia secundiflora, formerly Sophora secundiflora) ranges from Texas through the American Southwest and down into Mexico. Slow growing, it can reach up to 30 feet (15 m.) in height with a spread of 15 feet (4.5 m.), but it often stays much smaller than that.

Where is the Texas Mountain Laurel native to?

By: Liz Baessler. Printer Friendly Version. Image by JennyPPhoto. Texas mountain laurel is a tough evergreen shrub or small tree native to Mexico and the American Southwest. It is known for its attractive, fragrant flowers and its extreme drought hardiness.

How tall is a wisteria?

Slow growing, it can reach up to 30 feet (15 m.) in height with a spread of 15 feet (4.5 m.), but it often stays much smaller than that. It produces vivid blue/purple flowers shaped like wisteria blossoms with an intense fragrance that has been compared, not unkindly, to grape flavored Kool-Aid.

What is Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Cherry laurel is a large evergreen shrub or small tree in the genus Prunus and the family Rosaceae. A cherry laurel shrub can grow between 20 and 30 ft. (6 – 9 m) tall. However, it is easy to maintain a height of 3 – 6 ft. (1 – 2 m) as an evergreen privacy screen.

Dwarf English Cherry Laurel

The dwarf English laurel is a small evergreen shrub that is an ideal hedge plant for a small or compact garden. A dwarf cherry laurel grows between 6 to 8 ft. (1.8 – 2.4 m) tall and up to 6 ft. (1.8 m) wide. The attractive features of the shrub are glossy green leaves, scented spring flowers, and evergreen foliage.

Cherry Laurel Hedge

A cherry laurel shrub is an excellent choice for a low-maintenance garden hedge, privacy screen, windbreak, or tall border plant. Cherry laurel grows quickly and produces attractive colorful blossoms in the spring and evergreen leaves throughout the year. In addition, the shrub is easy to maintain as a hardy evergreen hedge between 3 and 6.5 ft.

Cherry Laurel Leaves

The leaves of cherry laurel are identified as dark green, lustrous lance-shaped leaves. The shiny green leaves grow up to 10” (25 cm) long and 5” (12 cm) wide. The laurel leaves have a characteristic smooth shine to them and noticeable greenish-yellow midrib and veins.

Cherry Laurel Flowers

Flowers on a cherry laurel shrub are easily identifiable clusters (racemes) of cylindrical white flowers measuring 2.7” to 6” (7 – 15 cm) tall. Each flower has five creamy-white petals and several yellowish-green stamens. Cherry laurel flowers bloom in early spring and persist until April. The flowers give off a sweet plum-like fragrance.

Cherry Laurel Fruit

Fruit from the cherry laurel bush is clusters of deep red round berries reminiscent of a small cherry. The shiny red berries turn black as they ripen during summer until fall. Like other parts of the plant, the black fruits are poisonous, and you should never eat them. However, the berries will attract birds to your garden.

How to Identify Cherry Laurel

A cherry laurel plant’s primary identification feature is its large, smooth, shiny green leaves. The pointed evergreen leaves create dense foliage. In spring, cherry laurel shrubs bloom with their characteristic pointed cylindrical white flower racemes. After the flowers fade, clusters of dark red and black berries decorate the shrub until fall.

Where does the cherry laurel tree come from?

Related to cherry trees, cherry laurel gets its common name from its resemblance to the true laurel tree. Native to southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, this species has been widely introduced in Europe ...

How big are Evergreen leaves?

Evergreen leaves are dark green on top and pale underneath, thick, shiny, large (3 to 8 inches long), oblong, abruptly pointed at the tips, alternate on the stems, and have finely toothed edges and short leaf stalks

How tall is a sage tree?

Description (see below for more photos) Tall, dense, spreading thicket-forming shrub or small tree, 10 to 30 feet tall (usually kept shorter by pruning), grows as either a single-trunk tree or a multi-stemmed shrub. Evergreen leaves are dark green on top and pale underneath, thick, shiny, large (3 to 8 inches long), oblong, ...

Is cherry laurel weed legal in Washington?

Cherry laurel is on the monitor list of the Washington State Noxious Weed List and it is legal to sell and grow it in Washington. However, due to its impacts in forests, cherry laurel is classified as a Weed of Concern in King County and its control is recommended in natural areas that are being restored to native vegetation and in protected forest lands. New plantings are discouraged especially where it could impact forest lands. For more information see Noxious weed lists and laws or visit the website of the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Is cherry laurel a competitor?

Very fast-growing and tolerant of disturbance and a wide range of conditions, Cherry laurel is a strong competitor and thrives in our climate.

Is a cherry laurel a single tree?

Collected plants have varied from immature plants to flowering or fruiting trees. In some cases, the cherry laurel was growing as a single tree or in small, patchy populations, but in other cases, there were substantial populations noted that included a range of ages from seedlings to fruiting trees. Cherry laurel is often found with ...

Can cherry laurel grow in shade?

When cut, cherry laurel will sucker from the roots and re-sprout from cut stems. Grows in sun or shade, moist or dry soils, but does best in moist, well-drained soils.

What are the petals of a mountain laurel?

The corymb is the marquee attraction. The fused petals of mountain laurel's florets are shaped like inverted parasols. They range from near white to a blush of pink, while their corollas include subtle markings that can reveal either cinnamon, scarlet, rose, or burgundy. Like the symmetrical shapes of dancers in a 1930s Busby Berkeley musical, each floret is perfectly formed. From late May to late June, scores of these corymbs appear in one of two stages, bud or bloom.

How tall is a mountain laurel tree?

Mature plants average heights from seven to ten feet, but some specimens have been recorded as tall as 40 feet. Ascending and horizontal branches are often contorted and considered picturesque, and although a shrub, the healthiest of mountain laurel can take on the stature of a small tree. Its growth rate, however, is slow, four to eight feet ...

How fast does Laurel wood grow?

Its growth rate, however, is slow, four to eight feet over the course of a decade. Laurel wood and its burls have been used for various tools and utensils, explaining one of its many monikers, "spoonwood.". The corymb is the marquee attraction. The fused petals of mountain laurel's florets are shaped like inverted parasols.

Where do mountain laurels grow?

Since the early 18 th century, mountain laurel has been cultivated as a flowering ornamental, an exotic addition to English gardens. English breeders later shipped it back across the Atlantic to be sold to Americans as a potted plant. At least 75 cultivars, mostly propagated through tissue culture, are available today. Its native range, however, is the eastern United States, extending from southern Maine to Louisiana and northern Florida. A total of seven species are known throughout North America, including sheep laurel ( Kalmia angustfolia) and bog laurel ( Kalmia polifolia ). Along with rhododendrons, azaleas, huckleberries, and Indian pipe, Kalmias are ranked among the Ericacea (heath) family.

What does the opening of a bloom do to the filament?

For more than a century botanists have observed that the opening of a bloom literally creates a tension in the filament similar to the cocking of a catapult. Scientists have slowed down their observations using high-speed cameras to study mountain laurel and its pollinators.

What happens when a bumblebee explores the flower?

When a bumblebee begins to explore, the filament hurls the pollen at the underside of the bee.

When did mountain laurel become endangered?

It wasn't until the 1980s in Pennsylvania, following the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, that specific plant populations were tracked and assigned special protection. So how did the unwritten prohibition against picking begin? Did public sentiment, intertwined with its status as a state flower, create the taboo that protected mountain laurel? At one time, even the National Council of State Garden Clubs had a rule prohibiting laurel flowers and foliage from being used in floral arrangements that were part of competitive judging. To what degree, if any, did a concern for overpicking of mountain laurel play in its conservation? Likely there is more to the story.

How tall is a laurel?

English Laurel. English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a fast-growing shrub that can reach heights of 12 to 30 feet. It belongs to the same family as flowering cherry, peach and apricot trees. Its glossy foliage is dark green and its leaves average 3 to 7 inches long.

How tall is a mountain laurel?

This slow-growing, evergreen shrub averages 6 to 8 feet tall, although some dwarf varieties are available. According to The New Sunset Western Garden Book, there are dozens of varieties of Mountain laurels, ...

How tall do laurel trees grow?

Other types of laurels include Carolina cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana,) an upright evergreen shrub that can grow as tall as 20 to 30 feet . Hardy in USDA zones 7 through 11, Carolina cherry laurel has shiny, dark green leaves and blooms with cream-colored white flowers in late winter. Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9. It has a dense, upright form and grows 10 to 20 feet tall. It blooms with 5- to 10-inch spiky clusters of white flowers in spring and summer. Another option, Sierra Laurel (Leucothoe davisiae,) is native to the Sierra Nevada mountain region and is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. It has an upright form with glossy leaves that become slightly tinted with bronze during winter. It grows about 3 feet tall and blooms with clustered flowers in summer.

When does English Laurel bloom?

English laurel blooms with spikes of scented white flowers in spring and early summer. The shrub has dense branches and is well-suited for use as a hedge or natural privacy screen. English laurel is hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, thriving in full to partial sunlight.

Where is California Bay Laurel native to?

California laurel (Umbellularia californica,) also known as California bay laurel, can be a shrub or a tree. It grows 2 to 16 feet tall and is native to mountainous areas of Oregon and California. Hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10, it thrives in full to partial sun.

Where does Bay Laurel grow?

Bay Laurel. Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), also known as Sweet Bay or Grecian Laurel, is native to the Mediterranean and its fragrant leaves are commonly used in cooking. The shrub blooms with clusters of yellow spring flowers and grows 12 to 40 feet tall.

What is the best shrub to grow in an outdoor space?

Beginner Gardening. By Caryn Anderson. Evergreen shrubs are an ideal addition to your outdoor space, offering year-round color and providing an attractive backdrop to colorful annuals and perennial flowering plants and shrubs. Although many gardeners may immediately think of bay laurel as the main variety, there are several varieties ...

Who is the executive director of Laurel Main Street?

Left: Judi Holifield has served as the Laurel Main Street executive director since 2011. She's also referred to as the "unsung hero" of downtown's transformation. | Credit: Cedric Angeles

Where to go to see Lauren Rogers?

Stroll through the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, and catch a glimpse of gorgeous architecture on the walk over, including City Hall and the Arabian Theatre.

Who is Jim from Laurel Main Street?

Jim, Erin’s cousin, became one of the founders of the group Laurel Main Street. “We all did what we could,” Erin says. “Josh had done some real estate development. He had a bird’s-eye view. Ben and I were the storytellers. I would take photos of a corner downtown that people might overlook. I kept a journal online, and I mocked up some murals in Photoshop. We put some lights in the trees and had these potluck parties and invited our friends from Hattiesburg. We were just like, ‘Yeah, Laurel’s a cool place—you didn’t know?’ ”

The Silviculture of Laurel Oak

Laurel oak has been widely planted in the South as an ornamental, perhaps because of the attractive leaves from which it takes its common name. Large crops of laurel oak acorns are produced regularly and are an important food for white-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, wild turkeys, ducks, quail, and smaller birds and rodents.

The Range of Laurel Oak

Distribution of laurel oak. (Elbert L. Little, Jr./U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Wikimedia Commons)

Laurel Oak at Virginia Tech

Very large Quercus laurifolia, laurel oak, standing next to wood framed house with porch and chimney. 1908. (The Field Museum Library/Wikimedia Commons)

Legal Status in King County, Washington

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Reproduction and Spread

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