Portugal or Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Portugal Laurel, sometimes also called Portuguese Laurel, is a choice evergreen shrub or small tree ideally suited to hedges. Portugal Laurel differs from the Common or Cherry Laurel in several aspects. It has smaller leaves (which makes it easier to trim your hedge) with pretty red stalks and pink tinged new growth that both stand out against the dark green, glossy mature foliage. Like most Laurels, it grows happily in both full sun and dense shade, perfect for problem areas. Portugal Laurel also grows freely on chalky soils, making it a great choice of hedge for those areas of Britain that may not be so welcoming to its common cousin.

If it is not trimmed hard, Prunus lusitanica will produce small white flowers in June, which rise up in cone shaped racemes and give off a fine scent similar to hawthorn. The flowers are followed by inedible berries that turn from red to purple - Portugal Laurel berries are poisonous so it is fortunate that they taste awful. Portugal Laurel is more drought resistant than other laurels and despite its temperate name, it is in fact slightly hardier than the Common Laurel. As with all laurel, Portugal Laurel provides excellent winter cover for birds and game. Laurels are pollution resistant and their thick leaves are better at blocking sound and light than many other hedges so they are a top choice for shielding your garden from road noise - they are a first rate wind break for the same reason. A Portugal Laurel would also make a good choice as a shrub or tree in difficult spots in the shade of a wall or a larger tree. Laurels originate from the Western Mediterranean area and parts of North Africa, so they are very likely to be comfortable in a warming Britain.

If you would prefer a Laurel with bigger leaves and lighter foliage, please have look at our Common Laurel.

Portugal Laurel hedge plants should be planted in a single row at 2 per metre, about 50 centimetres apart. Your plants will arrive well branched and bushy, so they will not need pruning in their first year.