Characteristics
- Scientific name: Prunus laurocerasus
- Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Synonym: cherry laurel
- Growth type: shrub or small tree
- Growth height: 200 cm to 400 cm
- Leaf: oblong, evergreen
- Flower: raceme
- Fruit: drupe
- Roots: heart roots
- Hardiness: hardy
- Toxicity: toxic
- Use: hedge plant, specimen plant, tub, ground cover
growth
the bay cherry is an evergreen shrub or tree from Asia Minor with all the attributes that hobby gardeners want from the perfect hedge plant. The ornamental tree from the rose family has impressive properties that make you forget a few disadvantages. The high level of popularity of cherry laurel in the gardens of Central Europe explains these key growth data:
- growth characteristics: Strictly upright, opaque leaves all year round, white flower clusters, black fruit decoration.
- Horticultural benefits: hardy, easy to care for, robust, extremely tolerant of pruning, fast growth.
- Horticultural Disadvantages: toxic, prone to invasive spread,
- growth height: 2 m to 4 m in Central Europe, 3 m to 7 m in Asia Minor.
- annual growth: 15cm to 40cm.
- root: Cardiac root with long, strong roots deep and wide.
also read
- The plant profile of the cherry laurel
- Cut Portuguese laurel cherries - Here's how to do it
- Beware of the poisonous laurel cherry!
Pros and cons of cherry laurel as a hedge plant
Sheet
The name of the laurel cherry is an amazing resemblance of its leaves with real laurel (Laurus nobilis). You can recognize the leaf of Prunus laurocerasus without a doubt by these characteristics:
- leaf shape: short-stalked, elongate-elliptical to obovate, pointed, smooth-edged.
- leaf color: dark green glossy, evergreen
- sheet size: 5 cm to 15 cm long, 2 cm to 5 cm wide
- leaf texture: leathery to rough
A look at the petiole confirms the close botanical relationship with bird cherries (Prunus avium). Two red honey glands are clearly visible there, which release sugar juice and exude a pleasant scent.
blossom
In spring, the laurel cherry puts on a beautiful flower dress, which, despite all prophecies of doom, is eagerly swarmed by native insects. These characteristics characterize a cherry laurel blossom:
- inflorescence: racemose, candle-shaped, 10 cm to 15 cm long, with numerous individual flowers in fives.
- flower color: white petals, yellow pollen.
- Specific property: intensely fragrant.
- heyday: April to June
- flower ecology: hermaphrodite
- pollinator: Insects, including bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
Pollinated flowers undergo a transformation into globose, black cherries 10 mm to 12 mm in diameter by autumn.
hardiness
The winter hardiness of the wild species Prunus laurocerasus reaches its limits early on in our latitudes. North of the Alps, the evergreen leaves have to pay tribute to the bitter cold and freeze back. Only since frost-hardy garden varieties have populated tree nurseries has the laurel cherry established itself as a popular hedge plant. Premium varieties such as Prunus laurocerasus Caucasica are certified as winter hardy at – 35° Celsius.
use
The laurel cherry not only shows its strengths as a hedge plant. The decorative shrub performs best in many ways. The following table lists functional and creative uses for cherry laurel in beds, on balconies and patios:
| bed | balcony/terrace |
|---|---|
| hedge plant | container plant |
| solitaire | privacy screen |
| House tree alternative | windbreak |
| surround | flanking door guards |
| groundcover | box underplanting |
| grave planting | topiary |
The functions as a container plant, edging or ground cover are fulfilled by garden-suitable breeds that have emerged from the wild laurel cherry. Magnificent cherry laurel hedges usually do not consist of the wild species, but of successful crosses with specific characteristics, such as extra large leaves or a columnar silhouette.
digression
Bay cherry – poisonous to humans and animals
Plant laurel cherry
Before planting cherry laurel hedges, garden newcomers have many questions about location, planting time and planting techniques. Read on here, because the good-natured laurel cherry has a simple answer to every question.
Which cherry laurel location?
These are the most important parameters for the right location:
- Sun to shade (ideally penumbra).
- Wind-protected location.
- normal garden floor, likes to be loamy, fresh to moist, humic and rich in nutrients.
- Exclusion criterion: waterlogging
When choosing a location, also observe the legally compliant distance to the property line or coordinate with your neighbor beforehand.
When to plant cherry laurel
You can buy laurel cherries in tree nurseries as containers or bales. This quality allows year-round planting. The recommended planting time is in the spring, so that the young rose plants can take root firmly by winter. A second time window for planting opens in autumn. Saving foxes wait until October, because at that time there are inexpensive bare-root shrubs available in well-stocked tree nurseries.
Cherry laurel hedge – how to plant?
As part of the soil preparation, you are spared the laborious task of removing all root residues. The laurel cherry is a competitive root conqueror. Only the fattest tree roots have to give way so that spade comes into the ground for the excavation of plant pits. The following brief instructions explain how to set up a cherry laurel hedge plant properly:
- Place each young shrub with root ball in a bucket of water.
- Measure the hedge and mark with stretched strings for a straight course.
- Dig planting holes twice the diameter of the root ball.
- Planting distance: 30 cm to 50 cm, depending on the variety and the desired quality of privacy protection.
- Extra tip: mix half of the excavation with compost soil and horn shavings.(€9.00 at Amazon*)
- Plant laurel cherries, tread down and muddy the soil.
In the last step of the hedge planting mulch the root discs with leaf or bark mulch. Drought stress is the most common cause of cherry laurel hedge failure. For the first few days and weeks, make a pilgrimage to the hedge regularly to water each bush.
Nurturing laurel cherry
The laurel cherry is extremely easy to care for. Pour, fertilize, cutting and propagating are easy for you if you follow these care tips:
Pour
The rapid, dense growth of a laurel cherry does not rely on excessive watering. Proper water management aims to avoid drought stress and waterlogging. Because evergreen cherry laurels evaporate water at any time of the year, the water supply continues at an economical level even in winter. Which irrigation water you use is up to you. The rose plants tolerate normal tap water, skimmed pond water and collected rainwater.
Fertilize
The laurel cherry thanks a twice-yearly nutrient supply with strong, dense, bushy growth, lush flowering and robust winter hardiness. At the end of March, spread 3 to 5 liters of compost per square meter under a laurel cherry, rake in the organic fertilizer and water. At the end of August, give cherry laurel as a hedge, shrub or tree a fertilizer rich in potassium, such as Patentkali or comfrey manure.
To cut
A detailed tutorial is dedicated to the correct care of laurel cherries here can read. All important aspects in a nutshell:
- cutting dates: Prune laurel cherries in spring (mid/end of February) or in summer (end of June).
- plant cutting: after planting, cut back all shoots by a third or half.
- build-up cut: Prune to desired final height twice a year in February and June.
- maintenance cut: Thin out in late winter, cut back last year's growth, cut back protruding twigs in June.
- incision: Apply hand scissors a few millimeters above an outward-facing blade.
- Important: Cut the laurel cherry hedge into a trapezoid shape (broad base, narrow crown).
It is best to use hand hedge trimmers. Electric hedge trimmers shred the beautiful, large leaves at the expense of a neat appearance. With very large cherry laurel hedges, hobby gardeners accept this disadvantage because the damaged laurel leaves are quickly overgrown.
multiply
The bay cherry is the easiest through cuttings to multiply. As part of pruning care, you will receive an abundance of suitable shoot tips as high-growth head cuttings. How to proceed correctly:
- Cut head cuttings with a length of 10 cm to 15 cm.
- Defoliate the lower half of the cuttings.
- Halve the top half of the leaves.
- Bay cherry cuttings im propagation box or two-thirds of the pot into moist coconut soil.
- Water regularly in a warm, bright location.
A transparent cover creates a warm, humid microclimate that promotes rooting. Daily airing prevents mold from forming.
diseases and pests
With its toxic ingredients, the laurel cherry successfully defends itself against diseases and pests. The evergreen shrub is not completely immune to pathogens. Furthermore, cherry laurel hedges make the frequent capricious weather in the course of climate change to create. The following table gives an overview of common damage patterns, names the causes and gives tips for countermeasures:
| damage picture | cause | What to do? |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow, brown spots, later holes | shotgun disease | Cut back into healthy wood, spray horsetail before flowering |
| White topping | mildew | Cut off affected area, inject milk-water solution |
| Semi-circular bay feeding | vine weevil | HM Nematode, Neem, Flower Pot Trap |
| Brown, dried leaves | frost damage | Cut back, henceforth water on frost-free days |
Popular Varieties
It's these premium cultivars that helped Prunus laurocerasus break through as the best-selling evergreen hedging plant:
- Rotundifolia: matt-glossy, light green, large leaves, upright, dense growth, 2-4 m tall, 1.2 to 2.5 m wide.
- Caucasica: Stiffly upright growth, dark green, glossy leaves, white, fragrant flower heads, height of growth up to 350 cm.
- hostelii: popular hedge plant, grows broadly upright to conical, hardy, height of growth 180 cm to 250 cm.
- Otto Luyken: grows wider, extremely frost hardy, ideal for low borders, up to 150 cm high, up to 300 cm wide.
- etc: inspires with bronze-red shoots of the 12×5 cm large, rich green ornamental leaves, growth height 200-250 cm.
- Shipkaensis Macrophylla: large-leaved cherry laurel with 16×7 cm leaves, fast-growing and very hardy.
FAQ
When can you plant cherry laurel?
You can buy cherry laurel in pots, containers or in balls from most nurseries. A particular advantage of this cultivation is year-round planting, provided the ground is not frozen, flooded or dried out. The best time to plant is in spring, so that the shrub from Asia Minor can prepare for the Central European winter. Another time window for planting opens at the end of August/beginning of September. For bare-root laurel cherries, the planting season extends from October to April.
How tall does cherry laurel grow?
In its native range from Asia Minor to the Balkans, cherry laurel grows up to 7 meters high. The evergreen shrub or tree does not reach this height in our latitudes. Even fast-growing garden varieties grow to a maximum height of 4 meters outdoors.
Is the laurel cherry poisonous?
All plant parts of a laurel cherry are poisonous. The highest concentration of poison is in the seeds of stone fruits. It is prunasin, a toxic glycoside. If this toxin gets into the stomach, it turns into hydrocyanic acid. However, the rock-hard seeds must be chewed and swallowed for the toxins to be released. Because it is almost impossible to crush the cherry stones, serious poisoning rarely occurs. The leaves and the dark flesh of the fruit are slightly to moderately toxic when eaten raw. Cooked laurel cherries without seeds are not poisonous.
When does cherry laurel bloom?
The wild laurel cherry blossoms from April to June. Flowering time for most garden varieties is in May and June. If the weather conditions allow it and the cherry laurel is given a summer pruning, it will bloom again in autumn.
When should you fertilize the laurel cherry?
To properly fertilize a laurel cherry, provide the shrub with compost and horn shavings at the end of March/beginning of April. Further fertilization also strengthens the winter hardiness. For this purpose, administer Patentkali at the end of August/beginning of September. Alternatively, shower the root slice with comfrey manure. The main nutrient potassium lowers the freezing point in the cell water and strengthens the cell walls. This process makes plants particularly frost hardy.
Is the laurel cherry 'Otto Luyken' suitable for planting in a bucket?
Every laurel cherry can be kept in a bucket. The most important requirements are a sufficiently large planter and a regular supply of water and nutrients. Watering when dry and monthly fertilizing from April to July are mandatory. In view of the rapid growth, annual repotting in a larger bucket is recommended.
What planting distance must be observed for a laurel cherry as a hedge?
If you give a laurel cherry hedge some time, a planting distance of 100 centimeters is sufficient. The privacy factor is achieved faster if you plant the shrubs at a distance of 50 centimeters. For garden varieties with columnar growth, such as the laurel cherry 'Genolia', a planting distance of 30 centimeters has proven itself in practice.