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portuguese laurel for sale nz

Looking for Portuguese laurel for sale NZ gardeners can trust? Prunus lusitanica, commonly known as Portuguese Laurel, is one of the most popular choices for hedging and screening in New Zealand thanks to its year-round lushness and resilience. Whether you want to create a fast-growing privacy hedge, a low-maintenance topiary, or a striking formal boundary, Portuguese Laurel adapts beautifully to New Zealand’s climate and soil types.

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 Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese Laurel)?

Portuguese Laurel is prized across NZ for its dense, glossy green foliage, classic beauty, and strong growth habit. This evergreen shrub quickly forms thick hedges that offer privacy, security, and protection from wind. With its small white spring flowers and attractive red stems on new growth, it brings seasonal interest while remaining tidy and easy to shape. The foliage is also highly tolerant to pruning, allowing you to maintain your preferred height and shape with ease.

Unlike many other hedge plants, Prunus lusitanica copes well with coastal exposure and urban conditions. It is drought-tolerant once established, frost hardy, and resistant to many common garden pests and diseases.

Ideal Uses for Portuguese Laurel in NZ Gardens

If you’re searching for a reliable hedge plant, Portuguese Laurel for sale NZ wide offers an outstanding solution. Perfect for both formal and informal borders, it provides an instant green screen for those wanting privacy from neighbours or to block road noise. It’s a superb choice for:

Portuguese Laurel is an ideal alternative or companion for other flowering Prunus varieties such as Prunus Accolade, Prunus Amanogawa, and Prunus Felix Jury. It also pairs beautifully with ornamental shrubs and underplantings like Azalea Princess Sonya and Hebe 'Autumn Glory'.

Growing and Caring for Portuguese Laurel

Portuguese Laurel performs best when planted in well-drained soil and a sunny to part-shaded spot. It will tolerate wind and a range of soil types, including clay once established. Regular pruning will keep your hedge looking tidy, with one or two trims a year typically enough to maintain a neat shape. Water young plants regularly during dry spells, and mulch annually for best results.

For those interested in mixed planting or enhancing garden interest year-round, consider companion shrubs like Pittosporum Moonlight, Grevillea 'Canberra Gem', or hydrangeas such as Hydrangea Voster Fruhot.

Buy Portuguese Laurel Now

Ready to transform your outdoor space? We offer vigorous, healthy Portuguese laurel for sale NZ wide, grown right here for local conditions. Contact us today for advice on quantities, planting tips, or how to blend Portuguese Laurel with other favourites like Prunus Awanui and Prunus Falling Snow. Let us help you create a beautiful, easy-care hedge that will thrive for years to come.


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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.

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