Prunus lusitanica subsp. lusitanica seeds - Portugal laurel

Prunus lusitanica, Portuguese Laurel, is a large evergreen shrub, ideal for creating dense, elegant hedges in gardens with a mild climate. With its glossy, dark green foliage, reddish young shoots, and clusters of fragrant white flowers, it is perfect for shielding a garden from prying eyes and wind while remaining decorative all year round. Sowing seed is a good idea for gardeners with patience who wish to propagate a reliable and robust shrub at low cost.

Botanically, the Portugal Laurel belongs to the Rosaceae family. The type species is Prunus lusitanica subsp. lusitanica. Among its official botanical synonyms are Cerasus lusitanica, Lauro-cerasus lusitanica, and Padus lusitanica. It is commonly called the Portugal Laurel, and more rarely the Portuguese Plum. It is native to south-western Europe (Portugal, Spain, south-western France, particularly the Basque Country) and north-western Africa (Morocco), as well as the Atlantic islands of Macaronesia. In the wild, it thrives in laurisilva forests and cool ravines, often along mountain streams, on well-drained rocky slopes.
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, with a habit that is initially bushy and then conical, reaching 4m in height within about ten years in deep soil, and capable of exceeding 6 to 8m in height and spread if left to develop freely. Its growth is moderate, around 20 to 40cm per year under good conditions. The leathery, oval to lanceolate leaves are 6 to 12cm long, finely toothed, glossy dark green on top and lighter beneath. In May-June, it bears long, slender clusters of small fragrant, nectar-rich white flowers. These give way to ovoid berries, 8 mm long, initially green then red, turning almost black when ripe; they are decorative but toxic to humans. Its root system is fibrous, rather superficial but well anchored, allowing it to withstand wind adequately without being invasive to buildings.

The Portugal Laurel takes a little longer to grow from seed than buying ready-formed young plants, but sowing offers real advantages. One packet yields several young shrubs. Each plant gradually adapts to your soil, whether clay-loam, stony, or chalky, provided it is deep and well-drained. Allow 2 to 3 years to obtain young laurels of 30 to 60cm in pots, ready for planting in a hedge, then 6 to 8 years to achieve a screen 2 to 3m tall. Prunus lusitanica tolerates pruning well and can live for many years. Its hardiness is rated at -15°C at its peak.

The Portugal Laurel can be planted in the countryside or in town, on the coast or inland. You can train it as a fairly formal clipped hedge, or let it take on a freer appearance, pruning only every two or three years. To create a varied hedge, combine it, for example, with Photinia serratifolia, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Viburnum tinus ‘Giganteum’ and Pittosporum tobira.