Prunus laurocerasus, also known as cherry laurel, is an evergreen

species of cherry (Prunus), native to regions bordering the Black Sea in

southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe.
The common names of P. laurocerasus refer to the similarity of foliage
and appearance to bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, the true laurel, in the family
Lauraceae), and like the bay laurel, Prunus laurocerasus was used for making
laurel wreaths, but the two plants are not closely related. It is not to be
confused with its American relative Prunus caroliniana, which is also called
cherry laurel.
Scientific classification:
● Kingdom: Plantae
● Clade: Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
● Order: Rosales
● Family: Rosaceae
● Genus: Prunus
● Species: P. laurocerasus
Description:
Prunus laurocerasus is a small to medium-sized tree, growing to 5 to 15
metres tall, rarely to 18 metres, with a trunk up to 60 cm broad. The leaves are
dark green, leathery, shiny, 10–25 cm long and 4–10 cm broad. The leaves can
have the scent of almonds when crushed. The flower buds appear in early
spring and open in early summer in erect 7–15 cm racemes of 30–40 flowers,
each flower 1 cm across, with five creamy-white petals and numerous yellowish
stamens with a sweet smell. The fruit is a small cherry 1–2 cm broad, turning
black when ripe in early autumn.
Interesting facts:
Leaves and seeds may cause severe discomfort to humans if ingested.
The seeds contained within the cherries are poisonous like the rest of the
plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin. This chemical
composition is what gives the smell of almonds when the leaves are crushed.
Laurel water, a distillation made from the plant, contains prussic acid (hydrogen
cyanide) and other compounds and is toxic.
In official medicine, laurel-cherry drops are used - laurel-cherry extract.
They are used as a sedative and pain reliever. An emulsion of crushed fruit
kernels is used for rubbing with baldness, as well as for lubricating skin areas
affected by boils.
Legends:
According to popular beliefs, cherry laurel is the fruit of love between
Laurus and Cherry. And the godmothers of the laurel cherry tree were Bird
cherry - it was she who gave her such beautiful inflorescences, and Ficus -
cherry laurel got leaves from him as a gift. And she received her fruits from
Mother Cherry.