Prunus lusitanica - Portugal Laurel

The Portugal Laurel is a nice large flowering shrub or small multi-stemmed tree growing 12-15' tall but can be up to 30+ feet. Planted for its wonderful floral display late spring. It's a pretty invisible plant but comes to life with the flower display in May. Saw one the other day that was pruned hard into a low shrub, pretty impressive floral display.

Leaves are evergreen, simple, alternate, narrowly ovate to lanceolate shaped, 3-5" long, serrated margins and are dark green and leathery.

Notice the young branches and petioles are reddish.

Flowers are borne on a long 5-10" thin panicle with tons of individual small white flowers.

Small reddish to black fruit, not usually eaten by humans, but the birds will strip a tree in a day.

The fruit in October.

Misidentification:
maybe another prunus, there are enough of them, but not likely in bloom, the rest of the white evergreen prunus have much shorter flower stalks and the fruit is smaller than most and seems to be more egg-shaped.

Prunus laurocerasus is the type species for the subgenus Laurocerasus or the cherry laurels. Others in this group include P. ilicifolia, P. lyonii, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. carolinana. They all have flowers that look and smell like these.

Location:
Aptos
Cabrillo Campus in the lawn behind the Sesnon House.

Scotts Valley
Civic Center Drive at MacDorsa Park

Prunus caroliniana - Carolina Cherry Laurel

The Carolina Cherry Laurel is a pretty invisible tree native to the southeaster states. Growing quickly to 30' it forms an oval to rounded crown depending on being single or multi-stemmed. 

Evergreen foliage, alternate, simple, oblong elliptical, to lanceolate having a dark green shiny upper surface and entire margins. Foliage is somewhat toxic.

Flowers in early spring, small individual flowers having 5 petals, are in upright 2-3" racemes. Showy if you happen to stop near one, but something you are likely to walk right by. Fragrant, but I don't like the smell of this or some others like it.

Fruit is a 3/8" diameter black drupe.

Misidentification:

Prunus lusitanica perhaps, the foliage is similar (except the margins are serrated) as are the fruit and habit, but the inflorescences are much larger that this species.

Prunus laurocerasus is the type species for the subgenus Laurocerasus or the cherry laurels. Others in this group include P. ilicifolia, P. lyonii, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. carolinana. They all have flowers that look and smell like these.

Location:

Aptos

Twins Lake Church close to the Perimeter Rd on the Campus of Cabrillo College

Scotts Valley
Lockwood Ln. just past the entrance to Oak Tree Villa (corner of Mt Mermon and Lockwood Ln.

Ligustum lucidum - Chinese Privit

Often grown as a shrub or hedge the glossy privit can reach 25-30' if trained as a tree. Trees form a very tight canopy with a rounded or slightly spreading shape. Quite popular, easy to grow and if you like sheered trees this one is already there.

The dark green evergreen leaves are opposite, simple, 3-6" long, elliptical - ovate shaped, with entire margins and a pointed tip. Transparent leaf margins - lacking color.

Stems are brown with lots of white lenticels. Bark is pretty plain.

Flowers in August, big time, big privit smell. Completely covering the tree are small creamy white flowers arranged in 5-7" long panicles. Separate male and female flowers (monoecious) on the same tree.

You can see some of the flowers have anthers (boy parts) while others do not.

The fruit is a small (1/4") purple-black drupe that lasts into winter. Somewhat attractive, if its not yours and you have to clean them up. Considered inedible but birds like them.

Misidentification
Other privits, especially L. japonicum. Leaves generally larger than L. japonicum, also thinner and softer the thicker leaves of L. japonicum, snap when bent, L. lucidum leaves just bend.

Location (almost everywhere)
Aptos
Along Soquel Drive at Terrace