#common laurel

[faguscarolinensis]

Prunus laurocerasus / Laurel Cherry at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[thebashfulbotanist]

Hi! I saw a weird plant the other day (Vancouver area, BC, Canada) and was wondering what it is and why it reflects sunlight in such a weird way! Came up short in trying to Google the phenomenon and asking around yielded nothing.

On the second photo it’s in the same lighting at the same time(within seconds) as the first, just from the side. Despite being glossy green, the light reflection on the leaves ended up hot pink. All the other plants in the area were unremarkable.

I hate to say it, but we talked about this one, and came to the conclusion that it's probably Prunus laurocerasus, called cherry laurel or common laurel. It's a hedge plant that's nonnative in North America, being native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. The cultivar "Schipkaensis", also called schip laurel or a schipka laurel, is a popular hedge plant in the western part of the US and Canada. We think it's Prunus laurocerasus based on the leaf shape, the shininess of the leaf, and racemose floral arrangement - plus, where you found it, in the city.

[the-garden-journal]

Flowers of Prunus laurocerasus, I love their adorable scent

[horsfields]

[musictherapy611]

Fleur du jour - common laurel, “perfidy.” Have a good day - XO