Cherry laurel plants (Prunus laurocerasus) are attractive evergreen shrubs that produce dainty white flowers in the spring. They are part of the Prunus genus, which also includes plum, peach, and almond trees. Cherry laurels are shade tolerant and rapid growers that can be ideal for privacy shrubs in a garden setting. They are resilient and quite easy to care for, especially when already well-established in the garden.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Prunus laurocerasus, also known as cherry laurel, common laurel and sometimes English laurel in North America, is an evergreen species of cherry (Prunus), native to regions bordering the Black Sea in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, from Albania and Bulgaria east through Turkey to the Caucasus Mountains and northern Iran.
The common names of P. laurocerasus refer to the similarity of foliage and appearance to bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, the true laurel, in the family Lauraceae), and like the bay laurel, Prunus laurocerasus was used for making laurel wreaths, but the two plants are not closely related. It is not to be confused with its American relative Prunus caroliniana, which is also called cherry laurel.
Prunus laurocerasus is an evergreen shrub or small to medium-sized tree, growing to 5 to 15 meters (16 to 49 ft) tall, rarely to 18 meters (59 ft), with a trunk up to 60 cm broad. The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, (5–)10–25(–30) cm long and 4–10 cm broad, with a finely serrated margin.
The leaves can have the scent of almonds when crushed. The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer in erect 7–15 cm racemes of 30–40 flowers, each flower 1 cm across, with five creamy-white petals and numerous yellowish stamens with a sweet smell. The fruit is a small cherry 1–2 cm broad, turning black when ripe in early autumn.
Wood
Cherry laurel wood contains a lot of water. It tends to gum up blades while cutting. It tends to split and distort while drying.
The freshly cut wood is creamy white and smells of almonds, It turns to orange and brown when dried.
Sections that are large enough in diameter may be used to turn bowls.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The cherry laurel is fairly low maintenance when it comes to its sun preferences. It tolerates a range of light conditions from full sun to partial and even full shade. However, these shrubs will grow best with more sun exposure in cooler climates, and more shade in warmer regions.
Temperature and Humidity
Although cherry laurel plants can thrive in almost any condition, they will not survive frost. Most cherry laurels will grow best in temperatures between 59 and 68 degrees.
Watering
Watering is advisable, especially on sunny and warm days. Generally, cherry laurel watering is done when the soil surface around the plants has dried out. Since cherry laurel is a deep-rooted plant, you should water the root zone thoroughly so that the water reaches the lower roots. However, be sure to avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Proper drainage is crucial for the survival of the cherry laurel plant. It also prefers fertile, slightly acidic soil.
Fertilizing
You can boost your cherry laurel’s growth by using fertilizers formulated for ornamental trees, as well as evergreen fertilizer.
Planting Instructions
Cherry laurels are considered extremely unpretentious and hardy. Therefore, almost any location is suitable for these rapidly spreading plants. Whether sun or shade, the cherry laurel will find its way up. It is also unfussy when it comes to soil conditions. However, it does not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, loosen very heavy soil with sand and dig up the soil around the planting hole. Once you have found a nice place for your plants, it is time to plant them out:
- Planting distance: 80 – 100 cm
- Dig planting holes
- Place a drainage layer of sand, gravel or shards of clay on the bottom
- Mix excavated topsoil with compost, manure or bone meal
- Place cherry laurel vertically in the planting hole
- Set the root ball so that it sits as deep as in the container
- Fill the planting hole and tramp down the soil well
- Water well
In order for the hedges to close more quickly, the planting distance can be reduced to three plants per meter. For container plants, the planting hole should be much larger than the planting container. When baling, it is advisable to give the roots plenty of space. Also, in the case of root balls, you should put the roots in water for about half an hour before planting. During the period when your cherry laurel is growing, watering is done as soon as the soil dries out superficially because a lot of water evaporates through the large leaves, which increases the risk of drying out.
Pruning
Regular pruning of your cherry laurel will encourage growth and keep your plants in the shape you want. The growth-happy plants can be pruned in the first spring after planting. After that, cut back once or twice a year, depending on how much the variety grows. The first pruning is done in the spring before bud break. Here, meticulously remove any winter damage. This involves cutting back frostbitten or withered shoots deep into the healthy wood.
The second pruning takes place at the end of May to the beginning of June, but no later than the beginning of August. Here only lightly prune into the desired shape. Do not choose a day for pruning that is too wet or too sunny, otherwise there is a risk of fungal infection or sunburn. In addition, do not use electric clippers for pruning. This significantly injures the large leaves, which leads to the fact that the plants look more disheveled than well-groomed. In addition, the injured leaves turn brown and unsightly. Good, solid handiwork with sharp secateurs offers a remedy.
Propagation
Cherry laurel plants can be propagated through stem cuttings. The cuttings can be planted and watered in a sheltered spot in the garden for the best growth. Here’s how:
- What You’ll Need: Healthy laurel plant, scissors, plastic bag, soilless potting mix, containers, rooting hormone (optional)
- Where to Cut: Cut with scissors just below a node on a soft, green stem (cutting should be about 4 to 6 inches long).
- Maintaining the Cutting: Remove the bottom few leaves, dip the stem in water then in rooting hormone (if desired), and slide stem about 2 inches into a container of potting mix. Keep warm and moist but not soggy.
- When to Plant the Cutting: In 3 weeks, transplant the cutting into the ground.
Overwintering
In the coldest areas of its range, the cherry laurel can suffer from winter exposure. To protect your laurel from browning or falling leaves during cold weather, loosely place a protective layer of burlap around the shrub, making sure not to wrap tightly. It’s important to keep air flowing within the plant’s foliage to maintain health.
Pests and Diseases
Stress and waterlogging in particular is difficult for cherry laurel because the moisture promotes fungal infections. The most common diseases of cherry laurel include:
- Shoot blight: perforated leaves with red-brown spots
- False mildew: yellow spots on the leaf; white coatings on the underside of the leaf
- Powdery mildew: coating on the upper side of the leaf
In the case of fungal infections, you should remove and dispose of the infected leaves to prevent the infection from spreading. If the infestation is more severe, especially in the case of powdery mildew, consider fungicide treatment. However, to prevent this from happening in the first place, you can treat your plants with Algan (Neudorf), for example, and you should of course avoid waterlogging.
The most common pest is the black vine weevil, which, as a larva, eats the roots and thus damages them. As a result, the plant absorbs less water and nutrients, grows weaker or may even dry up. Even when fully grown, the nocturnal beetles are enemies of every cherry laurel lover because they eat small bays in the leaf edges. To combat them, fill clay pots with wood wool and place them under the infested plants. These are used by the beetles as resting places during the day. The beetles nestled in the wood wool can then be disposed of during the day and the pots filled with new wood wool.
III. Uses and Benefits
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a vigorous and spreading evergreen shrub whose growth makes it a popular choice as a hedging plant. The attractive leaves, flowers, and berries also make this a good specimen plant that offers year-round interest. This shrub is well suited to informal and cottage gardens and its colors pair well with Japanese maple or snowdrops.
The fruits are astringent but edible. They contain small amounts of hydrogen cyanide; any fruit tasting bitter (which indicates larger concentrations of hydrogen cyanide) should not be eaten. The seed inside the fruit (and the leaves) contain larger concentrations of hydrogen cyanide, and should never be eaten. The toxicity of the seed inside the fruit is similar to the cyanide toxicity of the seeds inside the common fruits apricot and peach.
Toxicity
Leaves and seed may cause severe discomfort, and death, to humans if ingested. Historically, it was used for execution and political assassination in the Roman empire (e.g. Nero). The seeds contained within the cherries are poisonous like the rest of the plant, containing cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin. This chemical composition is what gives the smell of almonds when the leaves are crushed. Laurel water, a distillation made from the plant, contains prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) and other compounds and is toxic.