Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is a hardy, evergreen shrub valued for its dense foliage, elegant appearance, and suitability as a formal or informal hedge. Ideal for New Zealand conditions, it thrives in a range of soils and responds well to pruning, making it a popular choice for privacy screening and structured garden design. This guide provides expert tips on planting, growing, and maintaining Portuguese Laurel to ensure strong growth and year-round appeal.
Planting a Portuguese Laurel and getting it growing well is generally easy when you get a few of the basics right. This involves planting them in the right soil type, choosing the most ideal planting position, and ensuring the plants have the essentials to thrive. The Plant Company has the right advice to ensure success whether you are growing a Portuguese Laurel hedge or growing them as individual plants.
A Portuguese Laurel can cope with coastal environments provided they are not covered in salt spray. Being constantly coated with sea spray can result in leaf burning and ultimate death of the plant. Planting on the opposite side of the house to the beach is generally fine.
If the soil is too saline, this can also prove detrimental to the plants and result in them becoming stunted and not performing. If you elect to plant in this environment, The Plant Company recommends ensuring the soil is well prepared with organic matter such as compost and water regularly during dry periods.
Portuguese Laurels make amazing hedges (both formal and informal) and to create an outstanding hedge The Plant Company recommends spacing them 50 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted is the general rule. With this planting regime they will close in quickly and push each other upwards as they compete for light. The result is a fabulous hedge every time.
The key to an amazing hedge is to trim them little and often. This helps keep them dense and encourages the colourful, new growth. The best hedges are trimmed twice per year (summer and winter).
When planting a Portuguese Laurel choose a full sun or partial shade position with good drainage. The hole should be dug to at least 50-75% deeper and wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. A planting spade makes the hole digging a lot easier. The Plant Company recommends incorporating compost or sheep pellets into the soil to provide additional organic material, but this is not essential. Do not put fertiliser in the bottom of the hole, rather spread that on the soil surface after planting, and preferably do this when the plant is actively growing in spring.
Remove the plant from the container it is growing in by either pulling it free or by cutting the bag. We recommend cutting the bag, especially for larger grade plants, to minimise any chance of damaging the roots. Once out, you need to assess the roots before progressing. If they are not all bound up and haven’t been growing in a circle within the container, place the plant in the hole without removing any of the growing media or cutting the roots. You can tease them apart if you want but this is not essential. If, however, the roots have been circling the inside of the pot or they look totally root bound, simply cut through those very outer roots on either side. You don’t need to be any more aggressive than this or remove any of the growing media. You can try and tease the roots apart, but this generally breaks them which is why we cut them. NB: cutting roots is not essential, even if the plant is root-bound as explained in our article, Managing Rootbound Plants.
Now place the plant in the hole and make sure it is level with the soil surface before filling in around it. If it is above the soil surface, dig more out. If it is below, put in more soil and retest the level. Once the plant is set level with the soil surface, add more soil gradually and firm it around the plant using gentle pressure as you go. Scatter Shrub Fertiliser across the soil surface after planting and the give the plant a good watering.
Soils rich in fertility and organic matter that are well-drained will produce an amazing Portuguese Laurel. The soil should be well prepared with either compost or sheep pellets mixed in at planting or spread on the soil surface after planting. It is important that the soil being planted into won’t restrict root growth and for this reason, clay soils are not well suited to Portuguese Laurel plants. Clay soils also tend to be very wet which will negatively impact the performance of the plant and can ultimately result in plant death.
Feeding your Portuguese Laurel plants in spring with Shrub Fertiliser will replenish nutrients and keep them fed for 12 months. Liberal amounts of organic fertiliser can also be used. Do ensure that plants are watered regularly during dry periods to keep them flourishing.
Only potting mix should be used when a Portuguese Laurel is grown in a pot. Often people will try and cut corners and use soil or mixes that contain both soil and potting mix with poor results. The same applies to when plants are potted up with compost as it holds too much moisture. Soil also contains weeds and tends to become compacted in a container, hence why it is not used in this manner. The Plant Company has nursery grade potting media which is pre-loaded with the correct amounts of fertiliser and micro-nutrients to keep the plant sustained with nutrition and actively growing for the next 12-months. After 12-months, simply add a couple fertiliser tablets to keep the plant fed for the next 12-months.
A full sun or partial shade position with good drainage and shelter is essential for getting the best results with Portuguese Laurel. In shaded conditions they tend to become “stretched” as the branches extend to chase light. In full sun they tend to be more compact with a better colouring and gloss. The planting position should also be moderately sheltered which will help with establishment and the overall plant shape.
Portuguese Laurel plants require specialised fertiliser depending on how they are grown. That is, the fertiliser used for plants grown in soil is different to that used when they are grown in a pot. The Plant Company have produced a couple of articles to help you in the quest for fertilising the plants correctly.
Portuguese Laurel plants require feeding to keep them growing optimally. The Plant Company’s Shrub Fertiliser has been blended to give plants the boost they need and then sustained nutrition for the next 12 months. We recommend the fertiliser is applied to the soil surface in spring just as the plants start to grow actively. More importantly, we advise that no fertiliser is placed in the hole at planting, but rather spread around the soil surface so it can wash through the roots as it releases. Our fertiliser ensures that nutrients remain in the soil around the plant rather than being lost through the soil profile to where the plant cannot reach it. This also applies to plants grown on sandy soils. The Plant Company’s Shrub Fertiliser is therefore very environmentally friendly and longer lasting than most other products in the market.
Foliar feeding using a liquid fertiliser can be undertaken if you have time, but this is not essential if Shrub Fertiliser has been applied. If you think the plants need an extra boost or have some yellowing, however, a liquid fertiliser application won’t hurt. A great benefit of foliar feeding is that it helps keep the leaves strong and lush.
Portuguese Laurel plants grown in containers require different fertiliser to those grown outdoors in soil. In this instance the correct fertiliser to use is either container plant fertiliser or fertiliser tablets. Each of these will provide safe, sustained, and complete nutrition to the plant for the next 12-months. Using other types of fertilisers can be detrimental to the plant and may result in plant injury or death.
Foliar feeding using a liquid fertiliser can be undertaken if you have time, but this is not essential if container plant fertiliser or fertiliser tablets have been used. If you think the plant needs an extra boost or has some yellowing, however, a liquid fertiliser application won’t hurt. A great benefit of foliar feeding is that it helps keep the leaves strong and lush as the nutrition is right where the plant needs it.
The Plant Company is often asked questions about Portuguese Laurels and these are provided and answered by team in the following articles.
Portuguese Laurel plants are easily kept small. The key is to regularly trim the plant to control its growth and maintain the desired size. The Plant Company recommends twice a year trimming in summer and winter. You can shape it into a hedge, topiary, or simply keep it as a smaller shrub.
Portuguese Laurels grow at about 30 to 60 cm per year in ideal growing conditions. This is a relatively slow rate compared to most other common hedging and screening plants. The Plant Company recommends larger plants are purchased at the outset if a hedge is desired to avoid issues with slower growth.
Portuguese Laurel have a fibrous root system that typically reaches depths of 18 to 24 inches (60-75 cm). Their roots are not considered invasive and are unlikely to damage structures or foundations, particularly as the bulk of the roots are in the top 30 cm of soil. While the roots are not exceptionally deep, their fibrous nature anchors the plant securely in the ground, making it generally stable against wind once established.
Portuguese Laurels typically grow to 10-15 metres tall (33-49 feet) with a similar width. They are often kept trimmed to much smaller sizes, however, as they are used for hedges, screening, and topiary.
The Portuguese Laurel is considered poisonous to both humans and animals. All parts of the plant, particularly the leaves and seeds, contain Cyanogenic clycosides. When this compound is ingested, it releases highly toxic cyanide. Poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, even death. Avoid Burning the plant material as this can also release toxic fumes.
The three main disadvantages of Portuguese Laurel are its susceptibility to pests and diseases, slow growth rate, and the berries can attract birds.
Enjoy free shipping on orders over $150 as well as fast delivery.
Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.
Join our community of happy customers.
