Cherry Laurel

Sun; part shade. Evergreen, with glossy dark green leaves suitable for hedging and screening. The bark is nearly black in color. Crushed leaves have a strong almond fragrance, due to a concentration of hydrocyanic acid. A vigorous grower, cherry laurel reseeds freely. In deep well-drained soils, it makes an excellent native hedge comparable to East Asian shrubs like xylosma, ligustrum, photinia and holly. It grows in well in semi-shaded deep clay loams around pecans and other massive trees, but isn’t as drought tolerant in shallow exposed soils.