Rosaceae

Cherry laurel

Prunus laurocerasus L.

Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus

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Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) — FlowerPhoto: John Barkla, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (43)

ab: Ашымҳара
Arabic: كرز الغار, خوخ كرزي, غار الكرزي, غار كرزي, لوز الصين
Armenian: Դափնեկեռաս
Asturian: Llorera
Basque: Gerezi-erramu, Gerezi erramu
Bulgarian: Лавровишня
Catalan: Llorer-cirer, Llorer cirerer, Llorer reial
Chinese: 桂樱, 桂櫻
Croatian: Lovorvišnja
cv: Лаврла сиплĕ чие
Czech: Bobkovišeň lékařská
Danish: Laurbær-Kirsebær, Laurbær Kirsebær, Laurbærkirsebær
Dutch: Laurierkers, Gewone laurierkers, Paplaurier
English: Cherry laurel, Cherry-laurel, Common laurel, English laurel
Finnish: Laakerikirsikka
French: Laurier-cerise, Laurelle, Laurier cerise, Laurier de Trébizonde, Laurier du Caucase, Laurier palme, Laurière
frr: Loorbeikäärs
Galician: Loureiro real, Lauroceraso
Georgian: Წყავი
German: Lorbeerkirsche, Pontische Lorbeer-Kirsche, Kirschlorbeer, Lorbeer-Kirsche, Zierlorbeer
Greek: Δαφνοκέρασος, Λαουροκέρασο
hsb: Bobkowišeń
Hungarian: Balkáni babérmeggy, Közönséges babérmeggy, Örökzöld babérmeggy
io: Cerizolauro
Irish: Labhras silíní
Italian: Lauroceraso
Japanese: セイヨウバクチノキ, ベニバスモモ
Macedonian: Ловор
Norwegian Bokmål: Laurbærhegg
os: Лаврбал
Persian: پرونوس لاروسراسوس
Polish: Laurowiśnia wschodnia, Laurośliwa wschodnia, Śliwa wawrzynolistna
Russian: Лавровишня
Serbian: Зеленичје, Зелениче, Ловорвишња
Serbian (Latin): Lovorvišnja
Slovak: Vavrínovec lekársky
Slovenian: Lovorikovec
Spanish: Laurel cerezo, Laurel liso, Laurel romano, Laurel-cerezo, Laurela, Lauro ceraso, Lauro cerezo, Lauro-ceraso
Swedish: Lagerhägg
Turkish: Karayemiş, Laz kirazı, Taflan, Tahnal, Tanal
Ukrainian: Лавровишня
Welsh: Coeden lawrgeirios
xmf: Წყი

Synonyms

Cerasus laurocerasus (L.) Dum.Cours.
Cerasus laurocerasus (L.) Loisel.
Cerasus laurocerasus f. angustifolia (Loudon) Anon.
Cerasus laurocerasus subvar. rotundifolia Anon.
Cerasus laurocerasus unranked capensis K.Koch
Cerasus laurocerasus unranked colchica K.Koch
Cerasus laurocerasus unranked parvifolia Anon.
Cerasus laurocerasus unranked variegata K.Koch
Cerasus laurocerasus var. angustifolia Loudon
Cerasus laurocerasus var. camtschatica Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. caucasica G.Kirchn.
Cerasus laurocerasus var. colchica Anon.
Cerasus laurocerasus var. erecta Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. intermedia Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. latifolia Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. laurifolius Albov
Cerasus laurocerasus var. longifolia Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. microphylla Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. myrtifolia Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. otini Lavallée
Cerasus laurocerasus var. pumilio Lindl.
Cerasus laurocerasus var. rotundifolia Lavallée
Lauro-cerasus macrophylla Briot
Lauro-cerasus officinalis M.Roem.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. angustifolia (Loudon) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. camelliifolia (G.Nicholson) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. caucasica (G.Kirchn.) C.K.Schneid.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. colchica C.K.Schneid.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. magnoliifolia (Bean) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. mischeana (Späth) C.K.Schneid.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. parvifolia (G.Nicholson) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. schipkaensis (Späth ex H.L.Späth) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. serbica (Pančić) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. zabeliana (Späth) C.K.Schneid.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis f. zabeliana (Späth) Pilip.
Lauro-cerasus officinalis var. brachystachys Medw. & Albov
Lauro-cerasus officinalis var. schipkaensis (Späth ex H.L.Späth) C.K.Schneid.
Lauro-cerasus otinii Carrière
Lauro-cerasus vulgaris Carrière
Lauro-cerasus vulgaris unranked angustifolia Carrière

and 55 more.

Flowers

In flower: April (from 633 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: John Barkla, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Sinclair Laing, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Barry Walter, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Yvonne Engmann, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Erin Lalime, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma., CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Martin Kalfatovic, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Velotopist, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Velotopist, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Prunus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.