Mature Height/Spread: This evergreen, broadleaf shrub can grow to 20 feet but is generally kept smaller in the home landscape. The spread is 6 to 10 feet. The leathery, glossy, darkgreen leaves are 3 to 7 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches wide. Cherry laurel blooms in summer and has white flowers, which are often hidden by the leaves. Small black fruits appear in the fall.

Growth Rate: Cherry laurel is a fast-growing plant. It grows 25 inches or more per year.

Landscape Use: Suggested uses for this plant include hedges and groupings. It is very popular in the South.

Cultivation: Cherry laurels perform best in moist, well-drained soil supplemented with organic matter. Plant in partial shade to full sun. This plant tolerates salt spray and heavy shearing. Avoid excessive fertilization.

Problems: Cherry laurel is more disease- and insect-resistant than other Prunus species, but root rot can be a problem if the shrub is planted in a wet location. A fungal disease called “shot hole,” produces purple to reddish leaf spots. The spots drop out, leaving circular holes in the leaf. Mild, wet summer weather promotes this leaf spot. Avoid overhead watering. The fungus botryosphaeria causes limb dieback.

Insects may cause foliage damage.

Cultivars and varieties

‘Otto Luyken’ grows 3 to 4 feet high and 5 to 7 feet wide. The foliage is glossy, darkgreen, the flowers are white, and the fruit is black.

‘Schipka laurel’ (Schipkaensis) is a spreading shrub, 4 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide with dark green foliage, white flowers and black fruit. This shrub has a refined appearance and is hardy and vigorous in habit of growth.

‘Zabel laurel’ (Zabeliana) is a narrow-leafed cultivar with branches angling upward and outward (5 to 8 feet) from the plant base. The shrub grows 5 to 6 feet in height and is more tolerant of full sun than the species.