SEASONAL OUTDOOR SERVICES
Transforming Spaces from the Ground Up
LAURELS HEDGE
WHAT IS IT?
Prunus laurocerasus is an evergreen shrub or small to medium-sized tree,
growing to 5 to 15 metres (16 to 49 ft) tall with a trunk up to 60 cm broad.
The leaves are dark green, leathery, shiny, with a finely serrated margin. The leaves can have the scent of almonds when crushed.
The flower buds appear in early spring and open in early summer with five creamy-white petals
and numerous yellowish stamens with a sweet smell.
WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?
Cherry Laurel is an alien (non-native) invasive plant, meaning it out-competes crowds-out and displaces beneficial native plants that have been naturally growing in Ireland for centuries.
Its rapid growth, coupled with its evergreen habit and its tolerance of drought and shade, often allow it to out-compete and kill off native plant species. It is spread by birds, through the seeds in their droppings..