Portuguese Laurel, Prunus Lusitanica Angustifolia Options Explained
3/4 standard Girth "x"cm: 140-160cm clear stem
Girth "x" cm: 180-200cm clear stem i.e. a standard.
A clearer stem, where the foliage starts at around 180 cm can be useful if you are using them to screen above a 180 cm or 6ft fence. They are also the form of tree you see in ornamental parks and gardens, as they have a bit more of a visual impact.
Portuguese Laurel Standard Trees, Prunus Lusitanica Angustifolia
An excellent choice for all-year garden performance in most settings (not a strong grower in the downstairs loo). Low maintenance, formal and neat appearance, with the RHS Award of Garden Merit, it offers Instant year-round screening, impact, privacy and interest.
Our Portuguese laurel standard tree (Prunus lusitanica angustifolia or sometimes Myrtifolia) is one of the most reliable evergreen trees. The only way you could count on this tree any more is if you hung an Abacus off it.
The foliage is dark green, glossy, dense and compact. Compared with common laurel, Portuguese laurel has smaller, narrower leaves, so the tree looks finer, neater and better defined. This is what makes it so suitable for topiary.
New red stems that turn green give the whole tree a distinctive look compared to other evergreen trees. The new lighter green leaves also contrast nicely with established growth, so Spring is quite the show.
In early summer, the tree produces upright spikes of pollinator-friendly, small white flowers with a light fragrance, followed by red berries from late summer that the birds will thank you for. As with Halle, Chuck and Mark, these “Berry’s” are not to be eaten as a general rule but can be when ripe. You certainly don’t want to eat the leaves, so be aware of that with pets around.
Being a dense, compact-growing form, it works well as a standard or half-standard tree and makes a statement. Being interviewed by the police on your lawn would be less of a garden statement.
Good for planting schemes like lining a driveway, framing a seating area, screening off the neighbours, and patio planting.
As a guide, Prunus lusitanica angustifolia will reach around 6–8 m tall if left completely untrimmed, but regular light pruning will keep it to any shape and height you like.
It grows at a steady, manageable rate of around 20–40cm per year, meaning you are only going to be looking for your pruning gear once or twice a season.
Mature, Large and Established Portuguese Laurel Standard Trees, Prunus Lusitanica Angustifolia
We supply mature, large and established Portuguese Laurel trees for instant impact, Our range includes standard, half-standard and multi-stem Portuguese Laurel in a choice of heights and girths, suitable for gardens, driveways and landscaping projects. Every Portuguese Laurel tree we sell is sourced from UK suppliers and available to buy online with nationwide delivery.
Trade prices are available for larger Laurel tree planting projects, with more favourable pricing from November to March when rootballed mature Laurel trees are available.
How to Plant Portuguese Laurel Standard Trees
It will grow in most garden conditions, including clay, loam, sandy and even chalky soils, as long as the ground is well drained. It performs best in full sun or partial shade and will tolerate a wide range of positions (except Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer etc), across the UK.
Fully hardy, so you can plant it across the UK.
Water regularly during the first growing season, especially in dry spells. Once established, Portuguese laurel becomes much more self-sufficient and low maintenance, but early watering gets you best results.
How to Prune Portuguese Laurel Standard Trees
One of the biggest advantages of Prunus lusitanica angustifolia is that it is easy to keep neat. It naturally grows thick and leafy, so it responds well to trimming and holds its shape well (unlike us in the office, who don’t respond well to slimming and hold a large shape well… into next year).
The best time to prune is from late spring to early summer. A simple way to tell is to look at the new growth from spring. When it has stopped getting longer, the stems no longer feel soft, and the leaves have changed from fresh light green to a darker green, it is a good time to trim. A second light trim in mid to late summer can be done if needed.
When pruning, just trim enough to keep the head neat and even. There is usually no need to cut hard back into older branches. As you go, remove any dead, damaged or rubbing branches.
If you want a very neat, formal shape, trim more carefully. If you prefer a more natural look, just tidy the outside and leave the rest.
Allegedly Interesting Information About A Portuguese Laurel Standard Tree
Portuguese laurel aka Prunus lusitanica tree, has been grown in British gardens since at least the 1600s, and the narrower-leaved Angustifolia form has been in cultivation since 1892.
Prunus lusitanica is an old European species, not a modern nursery invention. It was formally named by Linnaeus in 1753, and the name “lusitanica” means “of Lusitania”, the Roman name linked to Portugal. Its natural range is in south-west Europe and Morocco, with the wider species also recorded by Kew from Portugal, Spain, France and Morocco.
