Be Careful Where You Plant Carolina Cherry Laurel

Q. My gardener said my Carolina cherry laurel died from a pest. He is cutting it out and suggested treating the soil and waiting until March to plant anything new. He is suggesting a Holly Oak which sources day can reach 30 to 60 feet in height! That’s quite a range.

Typical leaf scorch of Carolina Cherry Laurel planted in desert soils in hot locations

A. Most likely the Carolina cherry laurel died due to where and how it was planted and maintained. It is native to the Carolinas (hence its name) and should tell you about its suitability for desert climates and where it might survive in local landscapes.

Carolina cherry laurel probably should never be surrounded by rock mulch

            Holly oak is big, but it grows slowly. It will grow about a foot a year with irrigation and handle lawns well. It is not used much anymore but a good tree for large landscapes, not smaller residential landscapes. Pick something smaller. Single story homes should have trees with a 20 to 25-foot mature height. Two story homes can handle 30 to 40-foot-tall trees. No bigger. This is just too big for most homes.