How to Grow Cherry Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus
Cherry laurel is a tough, fast-growing evergreen that thrives in sun or deep shade and tolerates most soils except very wet ground. It makes an excellent dense hedge or screen and can be kept to size with an annual trim in late summer. Always prune with secateurs rather than hedge trimmers to avoid shredding the large glossy leaves. All parts are toxic if ingested, so site away from areas where children or livestock graze.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Cherry laurel rarely needs feeding once established. A spring mulch of compost around the base provides adequate nutrients for most plants.
Watch For
- Cherry laurel slug sawfly (larvae skeletonise leaves in summer)
- Bacterial shothole (circular leaf holes from Pseudomonas)
- Powdery mildew in dry summers on dense hedges
- Vine weevil in container-grown plants
Track your Cherry Laurel care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun to deep shade
Thrives in full sun to deep shade. One of the few evergreens that performs well under heavy tree canopy.
💧 Watering
Water to establish, then drought-tolerant
Water regularly during the first year to establish. Once settled, cherry laurel is drought-tolerant and rarely needs supplemental watering.
✂️ Pruning
Secateur-prune in late summer annually
Trim once a year in late summer using secateurs, not hedge trimmers, to avoid shredding the large leaves. Can be cut back hard in spring if overgrown.
🍂 Mulching
Mulch young plants in spring
Mulch with bark or compost in spring to retain moisture and suppress weeds around young plants.
Growing Tips
Prune with secateurs
Use secateurs or loppers in late summer rather than hedge trimmers. Sheared leaves turn brown and look unsightly on this large-leaved evergreen.
Tolerates deep shade
Cherry laurel is one of the few evergreens that grows well under trees and in heavy shade, making it ideal for dark boundaries and woodland edges.
Control vigour early
Left unchecked, cherry laurel can reach 8 metres. Trim annually and remove any suckers to keep it within bounds, especially in smaller gardens.
Avoid waterlogged soil
Although tolerant of most conditions, cherry laurel dislikes persistently wet ground. Improve drainage on heavy clay before planting.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Cherry Laurel Slug Sawfly
Identification: Slug-like dark larvae on leaf surfaces; leaves reduced to a network of veins
- Pick off larvae by hand
- Encourage ground beetles and birds that feed on larvae
- Spray with a contact insecticide when larvae are first seen
Pest Vine Weevil
Identification: Notched leaf edges from adult feeding; wilting plants from root-feeding larvae in soil
- Apply biological nematode control (Steinernema kraussei) to soil in spring or autumn
- Check containers and remove grubs when repotting
- Drench soil with a systemic insecticide containing acetamiprid
Pest Scale Insects
Identification: Small brown or white bumps on stems and leaf undersides; sticky honeydew
- Scrub off with soapy water
- Prune out heavily infested stems
- Apply a systemic insecticide in late spring
Disease Powdery Mildew Podosphaera tridactyla
Symptoms: White powdery coating on upper leaf surfaces; affected leaves may yellow and drop
Treatment: Improve air circulation by thinning dense growth; remove badly affected leaves
Prevention: Avoid overcrowding; ensure good airflow through the hedge
Disease Bacterial Shothole Pseudomonas syringae
Symptoms: Small brown spots on leaves that fall out leaving circular holes; gives a shotgun-blast appearance
Treatment: No chemical cure; remove and destroy badly affected leaves
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering; improve air circulation; prune with clean tools
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 100 cm |
| Row spacing | 150 cm |
| Mature height | 400 cm |
| Mature spread | 300 cm |
Vigorous evergreen shrub reaching 5-8m. Excellent for hedging and screening. White flower spikes in spring followed by red-black berries. Prune with secateurs in late summer to avoid shredding leaves. Tolerates deep shade.
Log Cherry Laurel in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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