Laurel Trees | Prunus lusitanica | laurocerasus

With its glossy green evergreen leaves and lovely spring flowers, laurel is an excellent choice for any garden

Laurel trees are a popular addition to gardens around the UK, keeping their glossy green foliage throughout the year, which is supplemented by spring flowers. As such, Laurel bushes provide an excellent solution for screening and sheltering and are ideal for adding year-round appeal to an outdoor space. Our range includes the fragrant Bay Laurel, as well as Cherry Laurel and Portuguese Laurel....

Laurel trees are a popular addition to gardens around the UK, keeping their glossy green foliage throughout the year, which is supplemented by spring flowers. As such, Laurel bushes provide an excellent solution for screening and sheltering and are ideal for adding year-round appeal to an outdoor space. Our range includes the fragrant Bay Laurel, as well as Cherry Laurel and Portuguese Laurel.

Choosing Laurel trees

In springtime, pretty clusters of flowers accompany the lovely, green foliage of our Laurel shrubs. Our Portuguese and Cherry Laurels each grow creamy white flowers in fragrant racemes, while our award-winning Bay Laurel’s flowers are more yellow-green in colour. The flowers of all our varieties are very popular with bees and butterflies, and both our Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) and Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) have been selected to receive the RHS Plants for Pollinators status. The flowers can be followed by reams of shiny, ornamental fruits varying in colour from red to purple to black.

For screening or hedging solutions, consider our Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) and Cherry Laurel. These bushes establish quickly and are highly effective at shielding against wind and noise thanks to their densely packed foliage. The leaves of the Portuguese Laurel are distinct from that of the Cherry as they are a deeper shade of green and are set against striking red stems. The Cherry Laurel, which is also known as the Common Laurel and English Laurel, has rounder foliage compared to the Portuguese Laurel’s more pointed leaves.

For a more fragrant option, consider the Bay Laurel. Also known simply as the Bay Leaf tree, Laurus nobilis has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit and grows wonderfully aromatic leaves which can be used in cooking to add flavour to stews and soups.

Growing Laurel trees

Our Laurel bushes can tolerate most well-draining soil types and various positions from full sun to heavy shade. They can cope well with drought and pollution as well as exposed areas (except when in extreme conditions). Laurel shrubs are easily sculpted and can be pruned into shape for a neater, more polished look. They are often pruned into a Topiary Standard form (resembling a lollipop) which are ideal for lining drives and walkways.

History & Etymology of Laurels

Laurel trees belong to the Lauraceae family genus which is made up of approximately 2850 known species. They occur naturally in warm, temperate climates – the Bay Laurel is native to the Mediterranean, the Cherry Laurel to South East Europe, and the Portuguese Laurel to Portugal and Spain, hence its common name. They are now widely cultivated in other areas and were introduced to the UK in the 1500-1600s.

The Laurel has strong connections to Greek mythology, particularly the Greek god Apollo, whose pursuance of the nymph Daphne led to her being transformed into a Laurel tree. In Ancient Greece, laurels were weaved into wreaths and crowns to be worn as a symbol of victory at sporting events. They are still symbolic of achievement today – in Italy, it is customary for newly graduated university students to wear laurel crowns as part of their graduation days.

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