Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus, also called Common Laurel, is a familiar sight in older Upper Mountains parks and gardens, where it has been used extensively as a relatively fast growing screen, hedge or windbreak. It is also easy to spot in the bush, where its large shiny bright green leaves are very different in colour and texture from our native bushland plants. Prunus laurocerasus is also very familiar to us as a garden plant, and many of us have it in our gardens, although we may not have planted it! Cherry Laurel has found favour all over the world as a fast growing screen, hedge or windbreak.
 

Identifying Cherry Laurel

Cherry Laurel, which originated in south-east Europe and Asia Minor, is a multi-stemmed, vigorous, spreading evergreen shrub, occasionally a small tree. It bears large dense leathery oblong leaves with bright green shiny upper surfaces. The veins are distinctly yellow, and the backs of the leaves are pale and dull. In early spring the plant produces upright spikes of tiny strongly-scented ivory flowers. Through summer and autumn it bears clusters of cherry-sized berries, which ripen from green to purplish-black
 

Over the Fence

Cherry Laurel has not remained in the gardens where it was originally planted. Apart from popping up in other people's gardens, it has seriously invaded bushland in the Upper Blue Mountains, where cooler environmental conditions favour its growth. It prefers a protected sunny position in nutrient-enriched soil, and so tends to be found along drainage lines and in stormwater affected areas in the bush. Like most weeds, however, it will tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, including shade, once established.
 

Cherry Laurel invades moist sensitive forest.

Cherry Laurel is invading and degrading
some of our most sensitive and fragile bushland.

A Threat to our Bushland

Cherry Laurel is a serious threat to our bushland, replacing and crowding out native plants and trees, its hungry roots robbing the soil of water and scarce nutrients. Under its dense canopy the soil remains cold and dark, conditions which do not favour the germination or growth of native plants. Little grows below, except for its own seedlings. The diversity of native plant species is diminished, and so is the habitat they used to provide for native wildlife.

How is it Spread?

Cherry Laurel spreads by seed. The shiny black succulent berries (actually drupes) are attractive to some birds, which eat the fruit and deposit the seed somewhere within their home range. Pied Currawongs love the fruit, and so too do Indian Mynas. Cherry Laurel in your garden will attract and encourage these aggressive birds. However, many native birds do not eat Cherry Laurel, which is now beginning to replace the native plant species that bear the succulent fruit on which these birds depend.
 
 

A Poisonous Plant

Take care when handling any part of Cherry Laurel. The berries, the leaves and the bark are all poisonous. Wash well after handling it, remove cuttings, and make sure the berries are not eaten by children, who may think they are cherries or olives.
 

A Tough Customer

Here Cherry Laurel is sending up multiple suckers from its roots.

Removing Cherry Laurel

There is only one way of dealing with Cherry Laurel plants which have invaded bushland - they must be removed. Because of the extensive root system of this plant, hand-pulling of anything larger than a small seedling causes too much soil disturbance, so herbicide is used. Bush regenerators use the cut and paint method: cut the stem or stems horizontally at ground level with loppers or a saw, and immediately apply undiluted herbicide to the cut surface with a special applicator. This method can be used in the home garden too, but special care must be taken:

• wear impervious gloves (eg, rubber)
• use a small paintbrush or an applicator bottle with a small opening
• exercise great care if pouring the herbicide into another container
• wash up any spills, including any on yourself, with large quantities of water
• wash tools, gloves, and any contaminated clothing separately

A Job For Life

The other method of dealing with Cherry Laurel in the home garden is to prevent it from fruiting. This means much time and effort clipping your plant before it flowers, or removing all the spent flowers before they can form fruit. This can be a difficult task if you have a number of plants, or if yours has grown to 6 metres or so, like the one below! And you will need to consider whether the next owner will be as responsible as you are.

What Can I Plant Instead?

The Hairpin Banksia, Banksia spinulosa, makes a colourful bird-attracting screen.

For the exotic garden Photinia (Photinia glabra 'Rubens') makes a colourful hedge that responds brilliantly to clipping. A number of Viburnum and conifer species are also suitable, as well as varieties of Rhododendron and Camellia.

In the native garden there is a range of medium shrubs which offer good screening and habitat - eg, some Melaleucas, Banksias, Hakeas and Sheoaks are dense, fast-growing, bird-attracting, and good windbreaks.
 

Other Prunus Pests

Cherry Laurel is not the only bush-invading Prunus species.

The Portuguese Laurel, Prunus lusitanica, is a problem in the Braeside area of Blackheath. It is a shrub similar to Cherry Laurel with smaller leaves, and conspicuous spikes of purple berries. This tree has also become very weedy in New Zealand, but has endangered status in its homeland - like the Radiata Pine!
 

Bird Cherry, Prunus padus, is a strong-growing deciduous tree to more than 10 metres, now infesting the creeklines and adjacent land in North Leura. Bird Cherry bears spikes of white flowers in spring, followed by small round bitter black fruit, a great favourite with Crimson Rosellas. It is easy to spot in autumn and winter - look along the creeklines for brilliant red, orange and yellow leaves.
 

Another Prunus, very similar to Bird Cherry but believed to be Prunus serotina, Wild Black Cherry, is a problem in South Leura, around the Gordon Falls, Everglades and Leura Park areas.
 

Text and photographs Barbara Harley
sumach1@exemail.com.au