Prunus lusitanica 'Angustifolia'

Once established, Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica 'Angustifolia') typically grows around 20 to 40cm a year. That is a steady rate: quick enough to form a hedge within a few seasons, while staying easy to keep neat with one or two trims a year. Growth is strongest in fertile, well-drained soil with regular watering in the first two summers.

Spacing depends on how wide the plants are when supplied: divide 100 by the width in centimetres, so plants 50cm wide go in at 2 per metre. Younger, narrower plants are usually planted closer, often around 3 per metre, while instant hedge troughs go in at one per metre. The Form Plants team confirms spacing for each order.

Yes, Portuguese laurel is harmful if eaten. Like other laurels, its leaves and seeds contain compounds that can release cyanide when chewed, so it is toxic to dogs, cats, horses and people. Established hedges are rarely a problem, but gather up clippings and fallen fruit so pets and livestock cannot chew them.

Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) has smaller, narrower, darker leaves on red stalks, giving a finer, more formal hedge, and it grows well on chalk. Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) has large, broad, bright green leaves, grows faster and prefers neutral soils. Both are evergreen and tolerate shade.

Yes. Portuguese laurel is one of the best evergreen hedging plants for chalky and alkaline soils, and it also grows well in loam and well-drained clay. The main thing to avoid is ground that stays waterlogged through winter.

Yes, Portuguese laurel grows well in full sun and partial shade, and it keeps a good dense habit along shady boundaries. In deep, dry shade under large trees growth will be slower, so extra watering and mulching in the first few years helps it establish.

Trim Portuguese laurel once or twice a year, in late spring and late summer, for a crisp, formal finish. Always check for nesting birds first, as they are protected while nesting, typically from March to August. Overgrown hedges can be cut back hard in spring and will regrow from older wood.

Portuguese laurel is comfortable as a hedge anywhere from about 1m to 3m or more, and it can be kept at whatever height you choose by clipping. Left unclipped, it will eventually grow into a large shrub or small tree several metres tall.

Root-balled Portuguese laurel is best planted from about October or November to March, while the plants are less active and the soil is moist. Pot-grown plants and instant hedge elements can be planted most of the year, as long as they are watered well in dry weather.

The cost depends on the height and tier you choose. Value plants are younger plants that are ideal for longer runs on a budget, while Premium plants are fuller, more mature plants and 1 metre instant hedge troughs for a finished hedge straight away. Live prices and sizes are shown on this page, and the team confirms quantities and pricing for each order.

Yes. You are welcome to visit the Form Plants showroom at Row Town in Surrey, open Monday to Saturday and on bank holidays, to see the hedging and choose your plants. You can simply pop in during opening hours, or book a Genus Bar appointment for unhurried time with the team and help with quantities.

Yes, Form Plants delivers nationwide. Our in-house team arranges every delivery and can offload larger root-balled plants and instant hedge elements by HIAB or Moffett crane where access allows. Delivery is quoted for each order depending on size, quantity and location.