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buy portuguese laurel

Looking to buy Portuguese laurel for your garden or landscape project? Prunus lusitanica, commonly known as Portuguese laurel, is a versatile, evergreen shrub prized across New Zealand for its glossy dark green foliage, elegant white flower clusters in late spring, and dense, easy-to-shape growth habit. Whether you're creating privacy hedges, formal borders, or attractive background planting, Portuguese laurel offers year-round beauty and low-maintenance appeal. At our nursery, you can purchase high-quality Prunus lusitanica, expertly grown to thrive in a range of New Zealand conditions.

Prunus lusitanica

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Prunus lusitanica, commonly known as the Portuguese Laurel, is a large shrub that is widely grown across the world. It features dark red stems that bear lush, dense, and dark green leaves. The white flowers are small and fragrant, followed by small, dark purple berries. It typically grows to 5 m tall and 4 m wide and can be trimmed as necessary. Prunus lusitanica is an excellent plant for a large garden. It is commonly used as a backdrop for smaller plants, planted for screening and shelter, used for topiary, or included in a “white” garden. Landscape designers favour Portuguese Laurels for their elegance and versatility.

Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) standard trees bordering a driveway.
  • Suited to regions:
    Subtropical, Temperate
  • Plant type:
    Shrubs
  • Height:
    5.00 m
  • Spread:
    4.00 m
  • Flowering time:
    Summer
  • Garden uses:
    Hedging, Pool areas, Screening, Topiary
  • Garden styles:
    Backyard, City & Courtyard, Cottage, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, White
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Prunus lusitanica

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Why Choose Portuguese Laurel for Your Garden

Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is celebrated for its resilience and elegant appearance. This plant makes an outstanding hedge or screen—its dense foliage ensures privacy and acts as an effective windbreak. Portuguese laurel is also well-suited for topiary and shaped formal gardens, as it responds beautifully to trimming.

One of the reasons gardeners choose to buy Portuguese laurel is its adaptability. Portuguese laurel tolerates shade, sun, and a variety of soils, making it an excellent choice for difficult spots where other hedging plants may struggle. As a bonus, the small, fragrant white flowers attract bees and pollinators in early summer, followed by decorative red berries loved by birds.

How to Plant and Care for Prunus lusitanica

When you buy Portuguese laurel, you’re investing in a long-term garden feature. For best results, plant in well-drained soil, spacing shrubs about 60-90cm apart for a dense formal hedge. Keep young plants well-watered while they establish and apply mulch to retain soil moisture. Portuguese laurel flourishes with an annual trim in late summer to maintain your desired shape and height.

This hardy plant is resistant to common pests and diseases, so you can enjoy a lush evergreen hedge with minimal fuss. Mature plants are drought-tolerant and reasonably wind-hardy, perfect for New Zealand’s varied climates.

Complement Your Portuguese Laurel with Other Garden Favourites

Portuguese laurel fits seamlessly into mixed planting schemes. If you’re creating a layered look in your outdoor space or seeking contrasting shapes and flowering interest, explore some of our popular companion plants. Ornamental cherries like Prunus Accolade, Prunus Amanogawa, Prunus Awanui, or the weeping Prunus Falling Snow all provide seasonal blossom and vibrant autumn colour. Consider unique New Zealand-bred trees such as Prunus Felix Jury for extra flair.

For underplanting, shade-loving groundcovers like Lonicera pileata or the pure white Iberis Snowtop (Candytuft Plant) create a pleasing contrast. Shrubby companions such as Hibiscus 'Diana', Leptospermum Wiri Shelley, or Rhododendron Colonel Coen can also add pops of colour and seasonal interest.

Order Your Portuguese Laurel Plants Today

Ready to buy Portuguese laurel and transform your garden? Our nursery supplies robust, healthy Prunus lusitanica plants perfect for hedging, screening, or feature planting. Place your order online or visit us for expert advice about the best planting methods and plant pairings. Discover why so many New Zealand gardeners choose Portuguese laurel for timeless, easy-care landscaping.


Contact us

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.

You know Corokia 'Mangatangi' and Avocado 'Reed', but have you met Bougainvillea 'Ningili', Clivia miniata (Natal Lily), and Lobelia angulata (Panakenake)? These beauties are worth a closer look.
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