| 1. | Also called English laurel. a rosaceous evergreen shrub or small tree, Prunus laurocerasus, of Eurasia, having clusters of white flowers and dark purple fruit. |
| 2. | laurel cherry. |
| a tree, Prunus caroliniana, of the rose family, of the southeastern U.S., having small, milky-white flowers and black, shiny fruit. |
| cherry laurel n. A frequently cultivated Eurasian evergreen shrub or small tree (Prunus laurocerasus) in the rose family, having showy clusters of white flowers and glossy foliage that yields an oil similar to bitter almond oil. |
cherry laurel
(Prunus laurocerasus, also Laurocerasus officinalis), evergreen shrub, of the rose family (Rosaceae), native to Europe but cultivated, particularly as a hedge plant, in other temperate regions. The Carolina cherry laurel (P. caroliniana) is a closely related species. P. laurocerasus grows about 5.4 metres (18 feet) tall and has glossy, rather oval or lance-shaped leaves 10-15 centimetres (4-6 inches) long. The small white flowers grow in an elongated cluster 5-12 cm long.
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