As of: March 14, 2024, 2:36 p.m
By: Franziska Kaindl
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The cherry laurel is a robust evergreen shrub that grows quickly and forms a dense green wall.
© Andrea Warnecke/dpa-tmn
The cherry laurel or cherry laurel is very popular in German gardens.
We explain to you how to plant and prune the shrub - and whether it is poisonous.
The laurel cherry is extremely popular in this country because it is easy to cut and opaque.
That's why it can often be found in private gardens or parks as an evergreen hedge plant.
However, the laurel cherry originally comes from Asia Minor or the Mediterranean region.
The wild species initially proved to be at high risk of frost north of the Alps, but the climate has since become milder and the garden varieties are much more frost hardy.
Is it called cherry laurel or cherry laurel?
You may find the term “cherry laurel” more familiar than “cherry bay.”
This is because
“cherry laurel” has become more popular in this country
.
The plant, which has the Latin name "Prunus laurocerasus", is even referred to as such in garden catalogs and in stores.
However, this term incorrectly leaves the impression that the shrub is a type of laurel.
Instead,
the plant belongs to the rose family and is a relative of cherries and plums
, which is why the term "cherry laurel" is more appropriate.
These are the properties of the laurel cherry
The cherry laurel is an evergreen shrub or tree that usually does not grow higher than four meters in Germany.
The laurel cherry has shiny green leaves that are elongated and pointed and
white inflorescences form during the
flowering period from April to June .
From August onwards, the flowers of the laurel cherry will initially be green, then black drupes as they ripen.
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Planting distance etc.: You have to keep this in mind when planting the laurel cherry
When you start looking for the perfect location for your laurel cherry, you should make sure that it is
moist, nutrient-rich clay soil
.
As a rule, a laurel cherry is also content with slightly sandier soils.
It also prefers
a place in sun
to partial shade.
If the shrub loses a lot of leaves, it may be because it doesn't like the location.
The best time to plant the laurel cherry is
in spring or autumn
.
However, since the shrubs and trees are usually offered as balled plants, it is possible to plant them all year round - it should just be frost-free.
If you are working on a hedge, you should be aware that the cherry laurel grows a lot in width.
Two to three plants are often enough for a meter of hedge.
You should plant these at least 30 centimeters apart.
Find out here
: How to make a wilted orchid bloom again.
Here's how it works: Make sure the soil is loose and dig a hole twice the size of the root.
Place the root ball there and then fill the pit with the excavated soil and organic material.
Then press the soil down a little and water the area.
When and how is the laurel cherry cut?
The laurel cherry grows
by 20 to 40 centimeters
per year .
Since the bushes quickly grow in size, they should be trimmed generously, especially in the first few years.
You should remove about half of the new growth.
Since the plant tolerates pruning, radical pruning doesn't bother it that much.
Where it has been shortened, it usually grows back more densely, which in turn provides good privacy protection.
As a rule, cherry laurel hedges are
trimmed once a year with hand hedge trimmers
.
June is the best month for this as the first growth spurt is completed here.
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Is the laurel cherry poisonous?
As popular as the cherry laurel or cherry laurel is in German gardens, it is also dangerous.
This is because it
is poisonous in all parts of the plant - from leaves to flowers and fruit seeds
.
That's why the laurel cherry was named
poisonous plant of the year
in 2013 .
The plant contains
glycosides
, which are converted into highly toxic hydrogen cyanide when chewed and swallowed.
This is particularly dangerous because the fruits often taste sweet compared to the leaves and are therefore not spit out straight away.
Animals are also endangered by the plant parts of the laurel cherry.
The plant is only edible when dried or cooked.
But that's not all the negative news.
Sönke Hofmann, managing director of the German Nature Conservation Association (NABU), also rails against the cherry laurel: "
Anyone who plants cherry laurel hedges is committing a crime against nature
."
The harsh verdict is that the plant would rob insects of their food source because it displaces native plants and offers little shelter to birds.
Another poisonous garden plant that is popular because of its beautiful autumn leaf color is the winged spindle bush.
Find out what you should know about him at
24garten.de
.
(fk) *24garten.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.