Cherry Laurel
BUSH INVADER
Prunus laurocerasus
family: ROSACEAE
Description
- Hardy perennial multi-stemmed and spreading woody shrub to small tree from SE Europe and SW Asia. Formerly commonly used for hedges, screens and windbreaks.
- Leaves are large, leathery and oblong with bright green shiny upper surfaces, pale and dull underneath. The veins are distinctly yellow.
- Upright spikes of tiny strongly scented ivory flowers are produced in early spring.
- Clusters of cherry-sized succulent berries ripen from green to purplish black through summer and autumn.
- Take care when handling any part of Cherry Laurel. Berries, leaves and bark are all poisonous. Wash well after handling it, remove clippings, and make sure the berries are not eaten by children, who may think they are cherries or olives.
Dispersal
Seeds are spread by birds. The berries attract aggressive birds like the Common Myna, Pied Currawong, and Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.
Impact on Bushland
Invades sensitive forests, shades out and replaces native species, reduces biodiversity and degrades habitat for native fauna.
Distribution
Upper Blue Mountains.
Alternative Planting
Native Plants
For screens, windbreaks and hedges which provide quality habitat use:
local Banksias:
(Banksia serrata, B. cunninghamii,
B. spinulosa, B. marginata,
B. ericifolia)
Grevillea acanthifolia
local Hakeas:
(H. dactyloides, H. sericea,
H. propinqua, H. salicifolia)
local Sheoaks:
(Allocasuarina littoralis, A. distyla,
A. torulosa)
Exotic alternatives:
Viburnum species (but not Viburnum tinus)
Camellias
Control
Must use herbicide: this plant suckers, layers, and reshoots from cut stems.
Cut and paint, or inject larger plants.
Treat suckers by scraping.
Pull out seedlings when soil is moist.
A Cherry Laurel hedge like this is a bushland vandal.
More Information
Weed of the Month article about Cherry Laurel.
Cherry Laurel invades sensitive forest, shading out native plants, and preventing the germination of their seeds.
Tiny, strongly scented Cherry Laurel flowers grow on upright spikes.
Cherry Laurel berries are attractive to birds, but poisonous to humans.
Preventing a Cherry Laurel hedge from fruiting by keeping it clipped is a job for life!
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