Prunus laurocerasus 'Etna' standard (Cherry laurel) — H90 cm | Pot Ø19 cm
- Regular price
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€53,95 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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€53,95
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Frequently asked questions
How can you prune cherry laurel without damaging the leaves? With pruning shears, branch by branch; hedge trimmers cut through the large leaves, which then turn brown along the cut edges.
Does cherry laurel tolerate shade? Yes, it is one of the few evergreen shrubs that thrives even in deep shade, with simply slower growth.
Shipping & packaging
Shipped within 24/48 hours via DPD
- Delivery in 2 to 5 working days
- Eco-friendly packaging: recyclable boxes and biodegradable materials
- Special protection so your plant arrives in perfect condition
- Tracking link sent by email as soon as your parcel ships
- Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page
ZEN ARRIVAL GUARANTEE
We guarantee that your plants will arrive in perfect condition. If your plant arrives damaged or in poor condition:
- Contact us promptly at hello@verdeia.eu with photos
- We will find the right solution for your situation
- No return needed — we trust you
The guarantee covers: damage in transit, plants severely weakened on arrival, and order preparation errors.
CARE TIPS ON ARRIVAL
To help your plant settle in for the long term:
- Unpack your plant immediately and inspect it
- Let it acclimatize for 24-48h in a bright spot out of direct sunlight
- Check the soil moisture before watering (dry surface = light watering)
- Wait 2-3 weeks before repotting, if needed
- Keep it away from heat sources and drafts
- Gently wipe the leaves to remove dust
Need help? Contact our team at hello@verdeia.eu or via chat.
🌿 Glossy deep green evergreen foliage • 🥬 Copper-bronze young shoots • 🌳 Trained as a standard • ☀️ Sun to partial shade • ❄️ Hardy down to -20 °C
Prunus laurocerasus 'Etna', or cherry laurel, bears large, leathery, highly glossy deep green leaves, with young shoots emerging copper-bronze before turning green. Native to the forests of southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is the only one of the patio shrubs to tolerate full shade.
Its distinctive feature is its evergreen foliage: unlike the magnolias, flowering cherries and fig trees in the same range, cherry laurel keeps its leaves all year round. The 'Etna' cultivar stands out for its coppery young shoots, which appear twice a year, in spring and late summer.
Exposure & placement
Cherry laurel is one of the few evergreen shrubs to thrive equally well in sun and shade. This explains its widespread use in urban hedges, where it fills difficult exposures.
- Exposure: sun to partial shade — even tolerates full shade, with slower growth.
- Placement: patio, entrance, walkway, balcony, courtyard — including poorly lit corners.
- Hardiness in a pot: down to -20 °C.
- Soil type: ordinary and well-draining — cherry laurel adapts to almost all growing media.
It is the most shade-tolerant evergreen in our standard-tree range: where the olive tree and eucalyptus require six hours of sun, this one is content with a shaded corner.
Watering & care
Cherry laurel tolerates drought well once established but remains sensitive to standing water. A well-draining growing medium solves the issue, and the foliage always signals a problem before it worsens.
- Watering: moderate — once or twice a week in summer for this pot size, much less in winter.
- Drainage: essential — never leave standing water in the saucer.
- Pruning: twice a year, in May and September, following the crown — cherry laurel tolerates pruning very well.
- Suckers: remove shoots that appear along the trunk, as they ruin the standard form.
- Fertilizer: shrub fertilizer once at the beginning of spring.
Prune with secateurs rather than a hedge trimmer: large leaves cut in half turn brown along the cut edge and remain visible for weeks.
Decorating ideas & plant combinations
It is a reliable choice for the patio: a dense, glossy green mass that lasts all year, without a bare period or particular demands.
- To frame an entrance, place two identical plants on either side of the door, in matching containers — symmetry works all year round with an evergreen.
- To make up for a deciduous plant, place it beside the dwarf flowering cherry — its foliage fills the space while the Prunus incisa is bare.
- For contrast between evergreen foliage, add a Eucalyptus 'Azura' — the eucalyptus's airy blue-gray foliage against the cherry laurel's dense deep green.
- For a Mediterranean trio, complete the arrangement with a standard bay laurel — two laurels with similar foliage, one aromatic and the other purely decorative.
Cherry laurel should not be confused with bay laurel: its leaves are not edible and are toxic.
Verdeia tips
- Do not confuse it with bay laurel: despite their resemblance and common name, cherry laurel is not edible. Its leaves and stones contain cyanogenic compounds. Only Laurus nobilis is edible.
- Prune with secateurs, never a hedge trimmer: large leaves cut in half turn brown along the cut edge and disfigure the crown for weeks. Cutting branch by branch takes longer but gives a clean result.
- Choose it for difficult locations: it is the only evergreen in our standard-tree range that tolerates full shade. A north-facing corner of a patio, an interior courtyard or a dark passage suit it where other plants struggle.
Technical specifications
- Botanical name: Prunus laurocerasus 'Etna'
- Common name: Cherry laurel, English laurel
- Family: Rosaceae
- Origin: forests of southeastern Europe and Asia Minor
- Size on delivery: H90 cm | Pot Ø19 cm
- Growth habit: trained as a standard, clear trunk and dense crown
- Mature height: 2 to 2.50 meters in a pot
- Exposure: sun to partial shade, tolerates full shade
- Watering: moderate, allow the growing medium to dry between waterings
- Soil type: ordinary and well-draining
- Hardiness: down to -20 °C
- Growth: fast, prune twice a year
- Foliage: evergreen, large, leathery, glossy deep green leaves, copper-bronze young shoots
- Care: easy
- Toxicity: toxic if ingested, leaves and stones containing cyanogenic compounds
- Decorative style: Classic / Natural / Patio
Each plant is unique: trunk height, crown density and the intensity of the bronze colouring on the young shoots naturally vary from one plant to another.
Your plant, delivered with care
Every plant is hand-packed in a box specially designed for plants — secured, protected, ready to travel. It arrives in perfect condition, roots intact and foliage preserved, ready to take its place in your home.
Our Verdeia commitments
FAQ – Everything to know before adopting your Verdeia plant
How are my plants prepared before shipping?
All our plants are selected from our European partner nurseries. Before shipping, they are watered, cleaned, and protected with breathable, secure packaging. Each package is designed to ensure your plant arrives in perfect health, without any transport-related stress.
Will the plant look exactly like the photo?
The photos accurately represent the variety and the stated size. Since each plant is unique, slight differences in shape, foliage, or color may occur — and that’s part of their charm.
What are the delivery times and conditions?
Orders ship within 48 working hours, with tracked delivery in 2 to 5 working days via DPD. Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page. You receive a tracking link as soon as your parcel leaves.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
Open your package as soon as you receive it and carefully remove the plant from its packaging. Let it acclimate for 24 hours in its new environment before watering. If it has been slightly stressed during transport, it will recover its shape after one or two days in the light.
What should I do if my plant arrives damaged?
Contact us within 48 hours with a photo of the issue. Our team will assess the situation and offer you the best solution: replacement, partial refund, or recovery advice.
Can I return a plant?
Since plants are living beings, standard returns are not possible. However, we guarantee good health upon delivery: if the plant arrives damaged, it will be replaced free of charge. For any other cases (order error, decorative pot, accessory), returns are possible within 14 days.