Prunus lusitanica - Portuguese Laurel

The Portuguese Laurel, in Latin Prunus lusitanica, forms a large bush or a small tree with a conical and dense habit, whose red stems bear beautiful dark green foliage, decorative all year round, even in winter. It also offers, in late spring, the spectacle of its elongated and frothy white flower clusters, whose fragrance attracts pollinating insects. The flowers are followed by red and then black fruits, appreciated by magpies and starlings. The Portuguese laurel is easily cultivated in well-drained, moist to dry, even limestone soil, and is often grown as an informal or pruned hedge, or shaped into topiary. Less hardy than its cousin the cherry laurel, with slower growth, it is also drought-resistant and much more ornamental.

The Portuguese Laurel is a bush belonging to the rose family. It is native to Spain and Portugal, also adapts elsewhere, and even in Mediterranean regions if it has deep soil. Its hardiness is around -15°C (5°F) once well-established in well-drained soil.

Capable of reaching 6-8 metres in height, it shows slow to very slow growth. Its habit is bushy when young, then over the years it takes on the appearance of a small tree. Its young branches are reddish in colour. They bear evergreen leaves, ovate and dentate, 6 to 12cm (4.7in) long, with a shiny dark green colour. In May-June, depending on the climate, it produces white flowers with orange hearts, cup-shaped, 1.5cm (0.4in) in diameter, fragrant, nectar-rich, and attractive to bees, gathered in narrow, pendulous clusters, 12 to 15cm (5.9in) long. The fruits consist of small oval berries, 8mm (0.3in) in size, initially green then turning red, dark purple, and finally black, highly toxic to humans if ingested, but highly appreciated by certain birds such as magpies or starlings.

The Portuguese Laurel requires deep and loose soil. Its hardiness is better in light soils that do not retain excess water in winter. It is often used as a windbreak hedge, pruned or not, in association with Photinia serratifolia or Red Robin, Eleagnus ebbingei, cherry laurel, Cotoneaster lacteus, bay laurel (in mild climates), holm oak, strawberry tree, and Mexican orange. It can also be placed as a standalone specimen and shaped into topiary.

Tip: Do not prune at the beginning of the season to fully enjoy the flowering.