Prunus lusitanica - Portugese laurel

Prunus lusitanica – Portuguese Laurel is a premium evergreen hedging plant, chosen for its dense growth, glossy dark green foliage, and excellent frost tolerance. This hardy and versatile shrub is ideal for formal screening, privacy hedges, and low-maintenance landscape design in both cool and warm climates.

With its naturally upright form, red stems, and compact habit, Portuguese Laurel creates a clean, structured look with minimal effort. It can be trimmed to form sharp lines or left more natural for informal screening. In spring, it produces small white flower clusters, followed by red berries that mature to black — adding subtle seasonal interest.

It thrives in full sun to part shade, adapts well to most soil types including clay, and is highly drought tolerant once established. Most notably, it is one of the few evergreen hedging options that performs exceptionally well in frost-prone areas, making it a top choice for cooler regions.

Key Details

• Botanical Name: Prunus lusitanica

• Common Name: Portuguese Laurel

• Mature Height: 4–6 metres (commonly maintained at 2–3m)

• Mature Width: 2–3 metres

• Foliage: Glossy dark green; red stems

• Flowers: White clusters in spring

• Fruit: Red to black berries

• Form: Upright, dense, formal or informal

• Position: Full sun to part shade

• Soil: Tolerates clay, loam, and well-drained soils

• Evergreen/Deciduous: Evergreen

• Growth Rate: Moderate

• Maintenance: Low; responds well to clipping

• Drought Tolerant: Yes – once established

• Frost Tolerant: Yes – highly frost hardy

• Water Needs: Moderate; water regularly during establishment

Best Suited For

• Formal hedging in residential or commercial settings

• Privacy screens in frost-prone or cool-climate regions

• Low-maintenance evergreen structure

• Alternatives to Lilly Pilly, Photinia, or Viburnum

• Boundary planting, driveways, or structured garden beds