ALMOND, PLUM, AND CHERRY TREES 171 
Flowers pinkish white, stalkless; February or March. Fruit fleshy, 
covered with a velvety skin. 
P. Avium (bird). Gean or Wild Cherry. Tree, 20 to 40 feet high, 
with stout trunk, and stout rigid branches curving upwards. Leaves 
pale green, downy beneath, on long stalks, and hanging down. Flowers 
in small umbels, drooping, the soft petals widely spreading; April or 
May. Fruit somewhat heart-shaped, black or red, bitter or sweet, but 
not acid ; juice staining. Native. 
P. CERASUS (supposed native of Cerasus, in Pontus). Dwarf Cherry. 
A bush or dwarf tree, 6 or 8 feet high, with red bark, numerous suckers, 
slender drooping branches, and smooth, blue-green, coarsely-toothed 
leaves with short stalks. The flowers erect, in small umbels; the firm 
white petals notched, and not spreading widely ; April or May. Fruit 
round, red, with acid juice. A native. 
P. Lavrocerasus (Cherry Laurel). Common Laurel or Cherry 
Laurel. A fine evergreen foliage shrub or tree, 6 to 10 feet high, with 
large, glossy, oval-lance-shaped leaves, dull beneath. The flowers in an 
erect raceme shorter than the leaves; April and May. Introduced from 
the Levant (1629). A number of varieties are to be found in our 
shrubberies, the chief differences being in the size or shape of the leaves. 
Var. latifolia is probably the best 
P. LUSITANICA (Portuguese). Portugal Laurel. Evergreen shrubs 
10 to 20 feet high, with oval-lance-shaped leaves, and white flowers in 
erect axillary racemes, longer than the leaves; June. Introduced from 
Portugal (1648). The var. myrtifolia has small leaves, and is of more 
compact growth. 
P. Persica (Persian). Peach. Tree, 15 feet high, with smooth, 
lance-shaped, saw-toothed leaves, and pale or dark red flowers, smaller 
than those of P. Amygdalus, appearing in April or May. Fruit fleshy, 
covered with a velvety skin. The var. levis (Nectarine) has firmer, 
plumper fruit with smooth skin. 
P. TRILOBA (three-lobed). Shrub, about 6 feet high, with three-lobed 
leaves. Flowers large, white or rosy, generally double, appearing before 
the leaves; March. Introduced from China (1857). 
On a well-drained loamy soil all the species of Prunus 
will do well. Their roots run very near the surface, and, 
consequently, so deep a soil is not required as by many shrubs and trees 
of equal size. With some species there is a strong disposition to throw 
up numerous suckers, which are often a nuisance, and must be taken off. 
It is not advisable to use these suckers for propagation. Stocks for 
budding or grafting are usually raised from seed, which should be sown 
Cultivation. 
