Prunus laurocerasus Mano - Cherry Laurel

Prunus laurocerasus 'Mano' is a variety of laurel with a very compact, wide habit and slow growth, specially adapted for the formation of low or medium maintenance-free hedges. Its glossy, healthy evergreen foliage is nicely rounded and bears bronze young shoots in spring that turn to medium or deep green depending on the soil type. Requiring no pruning, it also offers a bright white flowering in upright and fragrant clusters in spring. This laurel is not very demanding and quite hardy everywhere. It tolerates all exposures with a preference for partial shade and thrives in good garden soil.

Originating from southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, native to Iran, the Caucasus, and Turkey, the Cherry Laurel, sometimes called Trabzon Laurel, Almond Laurel, or Palm Laurel, is an evergreen shrub of the Rosaceae family. They are hardy evergreen shrubs, easy to grow in ordinary soil and not very demanding in terms of exposure. They tolerate pruning well. The cultivar 'Mano' was selected for its compact size and very dense foliage. The habit of this shrub is bushy and well-branched. Growing quite slowly, it will only reach a height of about 2 m (6.6 ft) with a similar width. Hardy down to -15° C (5° F). Its foliage is composed of large, leathery leaves. The foliage is shiny green, the depth of colour depending on the soil type. In limestone soil, it will tend towards light green; in acidic soil, towards dark green. The lamina is shiny on the upper side, lighter and matt on the underside, and is very decorative. The bronze young shoots develop into small elliptical to rounded leaves. In April-May, upright clusters of tiny, slightly fragrant white flowers appear at the ends of the shoot. The flowers are very popular with bees. Fruiting occurs in summer with small ovoid fruits that are initially green, then red, and finally dark purple, becoming black when ripe. The berries are not edible but are sought after by birds that spread the seeds.

Cherry Laurel is one of the most commonly used shrubs nowadays for creating screening hedges. It is perfect for creating low or high trimmed hedges. The 'Mano' variety excels in low and medium hedges, protecting against neighbouring views and forming structural boundaries, both decorative and long-lasting. For hedge planting, make sure to space each plant 80 cm (31.5 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) apart. It looks perfect in a free hedge, mixed with other evergreens (Elaeagnus ebbingei, Viburnum tinus, Rhamnus alaternus, Arbutus unedo, Photinia, Taxus x media, Pyracantha, holly, etc.), or in a shrub bed. If the fruits develop to maturity, they will give rise to numerous young plants inside or outside the garden. Repeated pruning can damage the foliage and removes its charming flowering prematurely. 

Caution: The leaves, and all parts of the laurel are toxic if ingested, with the exception of the fruit pulp (the seed is toxic). They contain prussic acid (hydrocyanic acid), associated with an aromatic substance called benzaldehyde, with a bitter almond smell. A principle also found in the almonds of apricot and peach pits, for example.