Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - June 14, 2007
From: carrollton, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Identificaation of different cultivars ofPrunus caroliniana
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
How can you tell if you have a Carolina Cherry laurel or Carolina cherry laurel "compacta," or a Cherry Laurel-English? I have a line of four cherry laurels and one in the middle recently died and I need to replace it. When I began the search I found these three varieties.ANSWER:
Prunus caroliniana (Carolina laurelcherry) and Prunus laurocerasus (English laurel) are very similar in appearance. The leaves of P. caroliniana are typically a little smaller (2"-3") than those of P. laurocerasus (2"-6"). The leaves of "dwarf" cultivars of cherry laurels will be even smaller. Your best bet for matching your replacement plant is to take a branch of an existing plant with you to a local nursery that offers both species and compare them there.More Trees Questions
Cause of trees losing bark in Arkansas
December 27, 2011 - I live in very rural Arkansas and we did have extreme heat this past summer and since then I have noticed several trees in the woods that have lost huge strips of their bark and I was wondering if it ...
view the full question and answer
Trimming non-native sago from Fresno CA
September 10, 2012 - I have a sago plant, fronds are hanging over into street, can the fronds themselves be trimmed back without removing the whole frond?
view the full question and answer
Possibility of growing a Lacey Oak in Katy, TX
April 04, 2011 - I live in Katy, TX - west of Houston and would like to place a Lacey Oak tree in my yard. We enjoyed this tree in our former home south of Dallas - and I understand it does better in alkaline soils; ...
view the full question and answer
A tree for fall color in VA
September 05, 2011 - I need a small to medium-sized tree for enclosure/privacy screening. I'm looking for a fast-growing, deciduous tap-rooted tree for a lawn area about 30-40' away from an existing mature Linden, and ...
view the full question and answer
Can the non-native ylang ylang tree grow outdoors in Arizona
July 14, 2015 - Can the ylang ylang tree grow outdoors in Casa Grande, Arizona?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |