Cherry Laurel
About Cherry Laurel
Cherry laurel is commonly used as a privacy hedge in UK gardens, due to its fast growing and evergreen qualities. Unfortunately it causes problems for native UK flora and fauna. Cherry laurel has oval shaped, glossy, dark green leaves. The flowers are white, and the fruits are similar to a small cherry, containing a seed.
The Problem
- Cherry laurel is highly tolerant to low water availability, so it can grow in harsh conditions.
- It is evergreen and fast growing so it quickly shades out or outcompetes native British plants, all year around. This causes reduction in plant diversity which alters the local habitat and leads to wildlife loss.
- Birds feed on the red fruits causing the seeds within to be dispersed over large distances via bird droppings.
- Cherry laurel hedgerows support very little wildlife compared to native hedgerows.
The solution
Unfortunately, cherry laurel is widely used across the UK in parks and gardens. If you have a cherry laurel hedgerow, consider replacing it with native broadleaved hedgerow species that can support native British plants and wildlife.
Great Glamorgan Way Project
As part of our project, we have been successful in removing invasive non-native cherry laurel at multiple sites across South-Central Wales. The laurel was replaced with a mix of native broadleaved species which will provide privacy, floral diversity and native habitat.