Cherry Laurel for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on April 27, 2022

Planting instructions

One of the greatest advantages of growing a cherry laurel is its adaptability. These plants survive in acidic and alkaline soils. They also grow in an incredibly wide range of light exposures, including full sun, partial shade, dappled shade, and full shade. As long as the soil in your planting location has great drainage, the chances are that your cherry laurel will adapt well. Once you choose a location, dig a hole that is significantly wider than the root ball and about as deep as the root ball is tall. Place your plant in the hole and backfill with organically-rich soil.

Watering and nutrients

Cherry laurels grow surprisingly well with relatively little supplemental watering and fertilization. Even when this plant is young, it will often tolerate dry soils. Provide water for this plant when the soil becomes excessively dry or when the weather is abnormally hot. You’ll also want to avoid over-fertilizing this plant. Give fertilizer once per year in the fall months or not at all. At times, a phosphorus-heavy fertilizer will produce the best results regarding the quantity and quality of the flowers.

Pollination

The flowers of cherry laurel, which arrive in late winter and can last through most of the spring, are alluring to both humans and several pollinator species. These plants provide early-season nectar for insects like bees. Since a single cherry laurel has both male and female flowers, pollination is easily achieved in most cases. However, pollination is not often a concern as, despite its name, gardeners do not grow this plant for its fruits. Instead, the main use of cherry laurel flowers is as a way to bring beauty and attractive scents to your yard.

Pruning

Cherry laurels are known to respond quite well to annual pruning. The plants achieve vigorous growth each year, and they can be trained into different shapes, including formal hedges. However, if you choose to prune yours, you need to be careful about your timing. Since this plant blooms in spring, a springtime pruning job can risk removing some of the year’s buds. Based on that factor, it is often best to prune this plant in the late spring or in the fall.

Pests, diseases, and animals

Pests can be a bothersome occurrence at times for a cherry laurel, but some insect infestations are more common than others. For instance, certain borers may attach to this plant, causing leaf dieback and bark damage. Scale insects can also be a problem, as can some fungal diseases. Many of these problems cause holes and other forms of leaf damage, which can make diagnosing the specific issue a bit more difficult. At times, cherry laurel can have problems with wind burns as well.

Achieving maximum results

While the cherry laurel is a fantastic plant for several reasons, it also has some negative traits of which you should be aware. For one, this plant contains a toxin called hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide exists in multiple parts of this plant, including the berries and leaves, and it can be extremely dangerous when consumed in large quantities. The vigorous growth of this plant can also be challenging to control, and some jurisdictions view this plant as invasive.

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