Portuguese Laurel

Portuguese laurel is an often overlooked evergreen, native to Spain and Portugal, south-west France, Morocco and the Atlantic islands of Macaronesia. In the wild it is uncommon and usually found along mountain streams. It reached Britain in 1648, during the reign of Charles I, and was later embraced by the Victorians, who loved the privacy laurel hedging gave them.

It forms a very dense hedge of dark, glossy green leaves. The leaves are smaller than those of cherry laurel and look a little like bay. New stems are a deep rhubarb red, and the two colours together look warm and rich in winter light.

In early summer it carries spikes of small, fragrant white flowers with a scent a little like hawthorn; both belong to the rose family. Red fruits follow in autumn and darken to purple with age. Birds love them. Portuguese laurel was once planted in woodland where game birds fed, in the belief that the fruit gave the meat a finer flavour.

Portuguese laurel is hardier than cherry laurel, less vigorous and less invasive. Many people think its smaller, softer, neatly serrated leaves make it the better-looking plant. Because the leaves resemble bay, it is also a good substitute in colder gardens where bay struggles.

Choose cherry laurel if you want the fastest, cheapest screen. Choose Portuguese laurel for a more refined hedge, a colder or chalky site, or clipped topiary shapes.

Sunlight: full sun or partial shade. It loves sunshine but is happiest in light shade.

Soil: any moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil, including chalk.

Aspect: north, east, south or west facing. It is hardy, but grows best with some shelter from strong, cold winds.

Cultivation: easy to grow. Water new plants well through their first growing season.

Growth rate: fast, up to 40 to 45cm a year. Left untrimmed it can eventually grow into a tree of around 18 metres.

Trim a Portuguese laurel hedge lightly twice during the summer, with the first cut around June. Secateurs or hand shears give the best finish.

It responds very well to clipping, producing soft topiary shapes that contrast nicely with sharper, smaller-leaved box and holly. Clip shaped plants three times a year, in February, June and October, to keep them crisp. Check for nesting birds before any summer trim.

Portuguese laurel is generally trouble-free. Powdery mildew can appear in dry, crowded conditions, and vine weevil and leaf-mining moths may damage the leaves.

Yes. Like cherry laurel, its leaves and seeds are toxic if eaten, so keep clippings away from livestock and never use the leaves in cooking.