The Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is a refined, evergreen tree ideal for formal gardens, screening, or adding year-round structure to any outdoor space. With its rich, dark green foliage and attractive reddish stems, it offers a more elegant alternative to the common cherry laurel.
At Tree Heritage Nursery, we supply Portuguese Laurel standard trees in three sizes: 10–12 cm, 14–16 cm, and 18–20 cm.
Growing Conditions
Portuguese Laurel is easy to grow and adapts to a wide range of moist but well-drained soils, including chalk, clay, sand, and loam. It prefers full sun to partial shade, and once established, is drought-tolerant, hardy, and resistant to pollution, making it an excellent choice for both urban and rural gardens.
Where to Position It
This versatile tree is perfect for formal planting schemes, topiary, or as a natural privacy screen. It's well-suited to containers, avenue planting, or as a standalone feature in both small and large gardens. Its neat, upright form responds well to pruning, allowing for shape control and structure.
Foliage, Flowers & Fruit
Portuguese Laurel features lustrous, dark green, lance-shaped leaves with an elegant, tidy appearance. In early summer, it produces upright spikes of fragrant white flowers that attract bees and pollinators. These are followed by small red berries, which ripen to dark purple-black and are a valuable food source for birds. The tree's reddish-purple stems add a subtle touch of colour and contrast throughout the year.
Size & Growth
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Ultimate Height: Up to 8 metres
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Ultimate Spread: Up to 4.6 metres
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Time to Ultimate Height: 20–50 years
Delivery — By Our Own Team
Standard and pleached trees are too tall for courier pallets, so our own team delivers them:
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£55 — within 18.6 miles (30 km) of our Hertford nursery
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£105 — 18.6–46.6 miles (30–75 km)
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£250 — 46.6–205 miles (75–330 km)
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£400 — 205–329 miles (330–530 km)
Oversized trees are delivered within a 4-week window and we’ll agree the date with you. Scotland or beyond 329 miles: please contact us for a quote before ordering. Select your distance band at checkout — we confirm by postcode before dispatch.
Plant Now or Reserve for Autumn
We deliver all year round — our container-grown stock can be planted in any season (summer planting just needs committed watering). Prefer to plant in autumn, when establishment is easiest? Order now and add a note at checkout — we’ll reserve your plants and deliver when you’re ready.
Planting & Aftercare
Every order includes our planting and establishment notes. The single biggest factor in success is water: new plants need generous, regular watering through their first two growing seasons. Follow the guide and your plants will establish strongly — and we’re on the end of the phone if you need us.
Why Tree Heritage
We’re a working nursery in Hertfordshire, not a reseller. Every plant is selected, grown on and quality-checked by our own team before it leaves the nursery.
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