10+ seeds Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana) Native SC Ecotype, Bonsai
10+ seeds Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana) Native SC Ecotype. Laurelcherry is a small tree, a wild cherry, native to the southeastern US from southern North Carolina to Florida and westward to eastern Texas. The dark green leaves make it an attractive yard tree, or hedgerow plant. The leaves are extremely fragrant of cherry odor when crushed. The white clusters of early spring blossoms are extremely valuable to pollinators, making it a good plant for permanent pollinator gardens. It is host plant for Coral Hairstreak, Red-spotted Purple, Spring/Summer Azures, and Viceroy butterflies. This is also a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. The fruit is not palatable to humans (some consider it toxic), but is a valuable food for songbirds and many other wildlife. It seems to need some freezing to be palatable to birds, so it often persists into winter, making it a valuable winter food for them. As with all cherries, the wilted leaves are toxic to livestock, so it should not be planted in pastures. It is a vigorous, easy to grow tree. When young it transplants easily. Keep in mind that it can propagate by self seeding or root runners, so some mowing may be needed to control these. The tree is adaptable of many kinds of soil, and will tolerate acidity. It’s a good plant for seaside sites, as it is also salt tolerant. It likes full sun, but can live in shaded spots. It is most fruitful in open sites. This tree is often used as a bonsai species. These seeds are gathered in the Pee Dee region of coastal South Carolina. This is the dried fruit, each containing one “stone.” Some of the dried pulp may be removed. The dry seeds are viable for many years. They need a period of cold for germination, so they can be planted outside in the fall (with some metal screening to protect from rodents), or they can be stratified in the refrigerator for 60 to 90 days, and planted in the spring. In either case, scarify by soaking 24-48 hours in room temperature water prior to planting. No further scarification is needed, but a bit of hydrogen peroxide in the water is beneficial to prevent disease and to provide oxygen to stimulate germination. Free shipping by first class letter (no tracking). ****************** NATIVES: This offering is part of our “natives” seeds and cuttings. We encourage the propagation of native plants, as these generally require less care and are of more benefit to the local environment. Our pollinators and songbirds are declining, and one reason for the loss is the planting of non-native plants that give them no support. Non-native plants often require watering and high pesticide use. The pesticides are another reason for the decline of our pollinators and songbirds. Some non-native plants, like Bradford pear, and Privit have become highly invasive and destructive. ECOTYPES: Our seeds and cuttings come from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina – Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg and Florence Counties in the northeastern corner of the state. So these are of a coastal Carolina ecotype. Why are ecotypes important? Many of our native plants have a wide range. For example, red maples are native throughout the entire eastern US, but there are variations within the species due to adaptation to local conditions. You can expect that those from your area will do better than one from far away, even though they are the same species. NATIVITY RESOURCES ONLINE: You can find online info on native status for your area with the North American Plant Atlas, which is presented by The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). You must know the Genus and species, but then you can find county-by-county information. Another resource, which is a bit more clunky (to me) is the government Plants National Database, which does allow common names (but take care, as these have regional variations). Both online sites are easy to find online. SEEDS: Our seeds are hand collected in season, and are in limited supply. While we try to clean these, we don’t have the fancy machinery that large seed companies have, so there may be some chaff or other plant material included. We are generous in our measurements, though. And residues should not interfere with sowing the seeds. Our berries may be offered two ways – as dried berries, or as separated seeds, at a higher cost, to compensate for the increased labor. Most seeds are shipped dry with a pac of silica gel for insurance. But a few, like Magnolia, Live Oak, and Longleaf pine should never be allowed to dry out. These are shipped damp and should be dealt with immediately. Many of the native perennial seeds require a period of cold (fall planting or cold storage in a damp medium – (called “stratification”), in order to germinate well. Some also require “scarification.” You can search online for info on how to do both of these practices. YouTube is especially helpful with many videos to show processes. Of course, as with any online resource, you have to use some judgement. There are many techniques, some contradictory, and some online info is just plain wrong. CUTTINGS: Likewise there is much online ino on plant cuttings. Keep in mind that this kind of propagation is a bit of a gamble. If you win, you get cheap plants that are exactly what you want (have you priced nursery stock lately?). If you lose, you aren’t out much. Our cuttings are made fresh upon your order, so we try to do our best for your success. While we emphasize native plants, we are not obsessive, and do have a few non-native food, herbs, and some woody plants that have shown to be well-behaved in our own homestead. NO GUARANTEES: As with any plant material, our offerings are subject to many factors and we cannot give any guarantees. We do want our customers to succeed, so we take care to give fresh and viable materials. And we no longer offer some things that we’ve shown in our own tests to be unlikely to do well.
