80926The first half of the name sound appealing enough. The second half, not so much. Do the seeds grow into snails? Do they just look like snails? Not many have seen them. Tiny pale white flowers that are supposed to bloom in spring, as well as small black berries that develop after bloom, are rare. Laurel-leaf snailseed, Cocculus laurifolius, is grown just for its glossy evergreen foliage.

The foliage superficially resembles that of common privets. Upon closer inspection, the leaves are somewhat elongated, and outfitted with distinct marginal veins flanking the midveins. As stems that become heavy with lush foliage lean over, vigorously vertical stems fill in the space, until they too arch over as they become fluffy with foliage. Mature trees might get twenty feet high and wide.

Because of its complaisant roots and tolerance of partial shade, laurel-leaf snailseed is popularly installed as a foundation plant (at the foundation of a home) but then obscures windows as it gets too big and awkward. Its arching branch structured does not do well with formal shearing. It works much better as an informal screen in the background, or as small tree with multiple trunks.

6 thoughts on “Laurel-Leaf Snailseed”

  1. One of the great things about your blog is getting to know plants we are not familiar with here in the East. I imagine the first word in the common name, Laurel-leaf is due to its resemblance to Kalmia latifolia, Mountain laurel?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I really do not know. I would have guessed that it is due to the similarity to bay laurel, Umbellularia californica, but that is only because that is the most common laurel I know. It is probably because of the resemblance to the ‘real’ laurel, Laurus nobilis.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment