PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, CARE, DISEASES - BIOLOGY - 2025

Prunus laurocerasus is a species of medium-sized evergreen shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae family. Known as cherry laurel, smooth laurel, royal laurel, lauro, lauroceraso or parrot, it is a species native to Southeastern Europe and Asia Minor.

It is a highly branched shrub with evergreen, oval, leathery, bright green leaves with slightly serrated margins. The pentameric and actinomorphic flowers are grouped in long axillary inflorescences, the fruit is a small glossy black drupe when ripe.

Prunus laurocerasus. Source: H. Zell

It is a fast-growing plant that is used as an ornamental plant to form hedges or cultivated in pots to place on balconies and terraces. In the field it is used to form windbreaks and undergrowth, in parks and squares it is sown in small groups or as single specimens.

Its fruits are consumed fresh and are used as an effective natural sedative to calm the nerves and improve sleep. However, the seeds contain hydrocyanic acid, which is highly toxic. Its ingestion can cause burning of the oral mucosa, nausea, palpitations, hyperthermia and tachypnea.

General characteristics

Appearance

Shrubby species or small, widely branched evergreen tree with compact foliage that reaches 6-8 m in height. It is generally grown as an ornamental hedge. Its stem has a woody texture and greyish bark, while the semi-woody branches are grayish-green with multiple lenticels.

Leaves

Oval leaves with a leathery appearance, glossy dark-green color on the upper side, pale green on the underside, 8-10 cm long. Petiole short, leaflet with a rounded base and pointed apex, slightly serrated margins, with 2-3 secreting glands at the insertion of the petiole.

flowers

Flowers of Prunus laurocerasus. Source: pixabay.com

The aromatic white flowers and 8 mm in diameter are grouped in erect and pyramidal inflorescences of 8-12 cm in length. They are generally arranged in an axillary or terminal position. Flowering occurs during the spring and they bloom again during the fall.

Fruit

The fruit is an edible fleshy drupe 10-12 mm in diameter, with a lustrous purple-blackish color when ripe, grouped in axillary clusters. Each fruit contains a rough and hard pericarp seed, bitter in taste and highly toxic.

Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Plantae

- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta

- Division: Magnoliophyta

- Class: Magnoliopsida

- Subclass: Rosidae

- Order: Rosales

- Family: Rosaceae

- Subfamily: Amygdaloideae

- Tribe: Amygdaleae

- Genus: Prunus

- Subgenus: Cerasus

- Section: Laurocerasus

- Species: Prunus laurocerasus L.

Etymology

- Prunus: the name of the genus derives from the ancient Greek «προύνη» and from the Latin «prūnus, i» which means plum.

- laurocerasus: the specific adjective comes from the Latin terms «laurus» and «cerasus» which mean «laurel» and «cherry». Alluding to its leaves and fruits similar to the cherry tree.

Synonymy

- Cerasus laurocerasus (L.) Dum. Cours.

- Laurocerasus officinalis M. Roem.

- Padus laurocerasus (L.) Mill.

- Prunus grandifolia Salisb.

Fruits of Prunus laurocerasus. Source: pixabay.com

Habitat and distribution

The natural habitat of the cherry laurel is located in temperate climates and deciduous forest ecosystems. It grows on fertile, humid soils with a slightly acidic pH, in full sun exposure or half shade, adapts to cold climates and tolerates frost.

Wildly distributed throughout the Balkans and the Caucasus in Eastern Europe, as well as Turkey and Iran in Western Asia. Today it is cultivated as an ornamental species in temperate regions throughout Europe, in addition to Morocco and the Macaronesian Islands.

There are several cultivars that vary fundamentally in the size and shape of their leaves, including angustifolia, Caucasian, japonica, mangolifolia, parvifolia, rotundifolia and zabeliana.

Care

Spread

Cherry laurel can be propagated from seeds planted in the spring or semi-woody cuttings during the summer. The seeds do not require a pre-germination treatment, only a suitable medium that is well humid and drained throughout the germination stage.

It is recommended to use germination trays with a loose, fertile universal substrate that facilitates drainage, but maintains constant moisture. The application of fungicides based on copper or sulfur is essential to disinfect the substrate and prevent the appearance of fungal diseases.

Two seeds are placed for each socket, covered with a layer of substrate and kept in a cool place under shade. In this phase it is advisable to spray daily, in this way after 15-20 days the germination process begins.

For vegetative propagation, terminal cuttings 25-30 cm long are selected, the cut is impregnated with phytohormones and planted in a vermiculite substrate. The pots are protected from direct sun and the humidity is kept constant, the rooting process begins after 30-40 days.

Leaves of Prunus laurocerasus. Source: GT1976

Location

In the field it develops in full sun exposure, planted in pots it adapts to conditions of partial shade. It lacks invasive roots, however, it is advisable to plant it at a distance from walls or walls, as well as tall trees so that it can develop effectively.

Floor

The cherry laurel grows on any type of soil, even limestone and heavy, but prefers deep, fertile and well-drained soils. Its cultivation in pots requires a fertile and loose substrate with a good content of fine sand, perlite or volcanic clay that facilitates drainage.

Irrigation

It requires frequent watering, without getting to water or stop watering for a long time, since it does not tolerate drought. During the summer it can be watered 3-4 times a week and the rest of the year every 4-5 days, depending on the environmental conditions.

fertilizer

This small shrub is a perennial plant that is in continuous growth, for this reason periodic applications of organic fertilizers should be made. Indeed, it is advisable to apply composted plant material, bovine manure, guano or worm castings during the spring.

Pruning

As an ornamental plant it is tolerant to continuous pruning, maintenance pruning is frequent to preserve the hedge shape throughout the year. With pruning, broken, wilted and diseased branches are eliminated, as well as those that show disproportionate growth.

Rusticity

Species adapted to warm temperate climate conditions, where the temperature drops to 0 ºC or can reach up to 40 ºC during the summer. In addition, it is tolerant to occasional frosts below -15 ºC.

Illustration of Prunus laurocerasus. Source: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Diseases

It is a plant that is quite resistant to the incidence of diseases as long as the adequate humidity and temperature conditions are preserved.

Sooty mold

The fungi of the genus Capnodium are the causal agent of the disease known as sooty mold or bold, similarly associated with the attack of aphids and mealybugs. The symptoms are characterized by the presence of a black or ashy coating on the surface of the leaves.

Root rot

Under conditions of flooding and poor drainage of the land, fungi of the genera Fusarium, Pythium and Phytophthora are frequent. Root rot causes general plant weakening and eventually death.

Leaf pox

The fungus Stigmina carphopila is the causative agent of this disease of cherry laurel foliage. Symptoms appear as virulent purple spots on branches and leaves.

References

1. Prunus laurocerasus. (2019). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered at: es.wikipedia.org
2. Prunus laurocerasus L. (2008). Asturnatura. ISSN 1887-5068. Recovered at: asturnatura.com
3. Prunus laurocerasus, the Cherry Laurel (2011) Pantas and Garden. Recovered in: Plantasyjardin.com
4. Renobales, G. & Sallés, J. (2001). Prunus laurocerasus: morphology and ecology. Plants of pharmaceutical interest. University of the Basque Country UPV / EHU. Pharmacy faculty.
5. Sánchez, M. (2018) Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). Gardening On. Recovered in: jardineriaon.com
6. Villaverde, J. (2018) Laurel diseases. Plantamus: Nursery Online. Recovered in: plantamus.com