Cherry laurel or English laurel are scientifically classified as Prunus laurocerasus belonging to the Genus Prunus of the shrub kingdom. It can be present in a number of nations stretching from Albania, Bulgaria, Southwest Asia, Europe, Turkey to as far as Iran.
The leaves or foliage resembles the true laurel plants which belong to the genus Laurel nobilis of the Lauraceae genus. Nevertheless, that is where the similarity concludes. Laurel nobilis have leaves that emit an savoury fragrance and so are traditionally used as perfume or food herbs. The foliage of the Cherry laurel do not produce the same scent or have the identical uses with the cooking.
Cherry laurels are widely used as decorative plants or shrubs. It is usually utilized to generate shrubs or soil covers in backyard scenery because of the vibrant shade radiated from the leaves and due to the fact of its survival level in backyard landscaping. Laurel plants are tough to endure harsh growing conditions such as variable soil pH, low water source and amount of sunshine. Fortunately they are amenable to being clipped or pruned; allowing the hedge to assume many different shapes and forms. The foliage is excellent to be used as highlight in floral arrangements or in floristry.
The trunk of the laurel evergreen bush can mature as high as 5 meters to 15 meters high at its complete peak. Its trunk area can reach a width up to 60 centimeters broad when full grown.
The leaves are a vibrant green color. The texture of the foliage feel leathery to the touch and is highly polished or shiny if viewed using a full light. The surface of the leaves measures ten to 30 centimeters wide as well as four to ten centimeters broad, which has a finely serrated margin.
The fruits are small cherries, about 1 to 2 cm broad which turns dark as it ripens during the early autumn. This might be the source of the “cherry laurel”. However, the cherries it produced are not recommended for ingesting, as the seeds are poisonous just like the leaves and the bark.
The floral sprouts appear during springtime and open during the early summer time. It can produce a 7 cm to 15 cm racemes of thirty to forty flowers, with each flower measuring about 1 cm broad. It has 5 creamy white petals accented by numerous yellowish stamens.
There are many varieties associated with the cherry laurel that are cultivated all over the world for use in landscaping and ornamentation. The Aureovariegata have leaves possessing differently colored spots or marks and a yellow margin. The Otto Luyken variety are dwarfed versions of the cherry laurels with miniature leaves of about 10 cm wide. The Zabeliana variety is widely preferred in cold countries because of its high tolerance for cold temperatures.
Possibly related posts:
