Flower profile

Carolina laurelcherry

Prunus caroliniana

Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana) is a shrub or small tree in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–March across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Carolina laurelcherry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–March.

10states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,432U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina

Quick look

Prunus caroliniana, known as the Carolina laurelcherry, Carolina cherry laurel, Carolina cherry, or cherry laurel, is a North American species of Prunus that forms a small evergreen tree.
From Wikipedia's article Prunus caroliniana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–March. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,434 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #57 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 865 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #65 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 525 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #68 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (426 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Georgia	Native	February–March	1,434
Alabama	Native	few records (22)	865
South Carolina	Native	few records (11)	525
Louisiana	Native	few records (34)	441
Mississippi	Native	February–March	273

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: leaves, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, panting, shock.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Cherry” (Prunus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Carolina laurelcherry in 10 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Brooks, Charlton, Chatham, Clarke, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Floyd, Forsyth, Houston, Lee, Liberty, Lowndes, McIntosh, Meriwether, Mitchell, Newton, Oglethorpe, Richmond, Seminole, Spalding, Sumter, Tattnall, Thomas.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Butler, Chambers, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Geneva, Greene, Henry, Houston, Lawrence, Lee, Marengo, Mobile, Perry, Pike, Russell, Tallapoosa.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Laurocerasus caroliniana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 194 counties across 8 states; the most are in Louisiana (44), Florida (38), Georgia (27).

Other Prunus on Bloomipedia (16): Black cherry, Chokecherry, American plum, Beach plum, Peach, Cherry laurel, Fire cherry, Desert peach, Sweet cherry, European plum.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry, Trailing blackberry.

More Georgia flowers

Mock strawberry

Potentilla indica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–April

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–April

Southern dewberry

Rubus trivialis

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: February–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PRCA.
iNaturalist, Prunus caroliniana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Prunus caroliniana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Prunus caroliniana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.