Cherry Laurel Hedge
Prunus laurocerasus Rotundifolia

A Guide to Cherry Laurel Hedging

Adding a cherry laurel hedge to your garden can be an effective way to add interest and beauty to the outdoor space. A laurel hedge features attractive evergreen shrubs that come in several varieties, each offering unique benefits and features.

These evergreen hedging plants are easy to maintain, as long as you have the right tools and techniques for success. If you’re looking for ideas on how to incorporate this plant into your landscape design, look no further!

We'll explore all aspects of cherry laurel hedging – from types and benefits to care tips and creative uses – so you can get the most out of these beautiful plants in your garden.

Benefits & Features of Cherry Laurel

Cherry laurel comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, making it ideal for creating a beautiful, lush look to your garden. In addition to their attractive evergreen foliage, cherry laurel hedges are a great choice for providing privacy and blocking out noise from the street or neighbours.

Here's just a few of laurels many benefits.

• Year round interest and attractive evergreen foliage with glossy dark green leaves
• Available in a variety of shapes and sizes
• Provide privacy from neighbours or street noise
• Established plants are drought tolerant and ideal for coastal gardens
• Easy to maintain with the right tools and techniques
• Create a lush look for gardens
• Survives in most poor soil types including clay soils
• Cherry laurel hedge plants are low maintenance once established
• Fast growing hedge species that can tolerate a hard prune and full shade
• Mature plants are a great choice for creating a sound barrier and to reduce noise

Different types and varieties of Cherry Laurel Hedge

The most common variety of cherry laurel hedging is Prunus laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia', one of our most popular garden plants, which features medium sized green glossy leaves with fragrant white flowers that bloom in the spring.

Alternative varieties of Laurel Hedge

Compact Laurel Hedge otherwise known as Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken', is a great alternative to Cherry Laurel. It produces a smaller plant with dark green glossy leaves, a popular choice for smaller gardens.

Portuguese Laurel Hedge also know as Prunus lusitanica is another popular choice, with glossy dark green pointed foliage on red stems this plant makes a very dense hedge, great for noise reduction.

Cherry Laurel Root Types

Cherry Laurel is available in a number of different root types, including root ball plants, bare roots, pot grown and instant hedging.

How to incorporate Cherry Laurel Hedge Plants into your garden

Cherry laurel hedging can be used in a variety of ways to add interest and beauty to your outdoor space. For example, you can use them as a screening plant to create a privacy screen or noise barrier along a property line.

You may also want to incorporate them into an ornamental garden as an accent plant or feature. When planting multiple cherry laurels be sure to space them evenly for an even and uniform look.

Cherry Laurel is not only used for hedging, its also available as a pleached tree. Take a look at our Pleached Cherry Laurel Trees if your looking to form a privacy barrier above a wall or on your gardens boundary.

Planting your Cherry Laurel Hedging

Growing a cherry laurel hedge is relatively easy, as long as you have the right tools and techniques.

Please read our guide for full instructions on how to plant your Cherry Laurel hedge.

Pruning your Cherry Laurel Hedge

Cherry laurel hedges are low-maintenance plants that can enhance the beauty of any outdoor space. With the right care and maintenance, these evergreen shrubs can thrive for years to come, with pruning required just two or three times a year.

If you plan to use a shearing technique to trim or cut your evergreen hedges, investing in quality pruning equipment is essential for achieving a neat and tidy look.

 Please read our Laurel Pruning Guide for tips and tricks to help keep your cherry laurel hedge looking its best all year round.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherry Laurel Hedge Plants

Please see our FAQ's below for answers to common questions about Cherry Laurel.

When to prune a cherry laurel hedge in the UK?

It is best to prune your cherry laurel hedging in late winter or early spring when the plant is dormant.

How many cherry laurel plants per metre?

A general rule of thumb is to use two cherry laurel plants per metre for a formal look, or three plants per metre for an informal look.

How fast does cherry laurel grow?

Cherry laurels are fast growing plants, growing 20-30cm per year and reaching heights of up to 8 feet in just a few years.

How tall does cherry laurel grow?

Cherry Laurel Hedges can reach a height of 4-5 metres depending on the variety of plant you choose and how you prune.

Do cherry laurel hedging plants require full sun?

No, cherry laurel hedge plants are shade tolerant and will thrive in part to full sun.

Is cherry laurel poisonous to dogs?

Prussic acid poisons dogs and humans but also causes a lot more harm. Consuming cherry laurel can cause severe poisoning in horses, cattle, cows, dogs, cats or small animals.

What is the difference between laurel and cherry laurel?

The one distinction between the English laurel and Cherry laurel lies in their names. It's a single thing. Interestingly English laurel and cherry laurel are identical plants so it doesn't matter. They have often been interchangeably named to describe the same hedging plants.