Portugal Laurel is a flowering, evergreen shrub or tree in the rose family native to the mountainous forests of the Iberian Peninsula. At maturity, 20 to 50 years, it will grow to 10 to 12 feet tall and wide. It will likely be taller if pruned to a tree form. As a shrub, it is dense and rounded in form and can be pruned as a hedge. This ornamental plant has glossy dark green leaves and, in spring, there are fragrant clusters up to 6 to 10 inches long of white flowers. These are followed by purple berry-like drupes. The species name comes from the Latin, Lusitania, which was Rome's name for Portugal. This shrub is easy to grow in average moist, well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade and is drought tolerant once established. It can be propagated in spring by softwood stem cuttings and is very tolerant of pruning. The Clemson Home and Garden Information Center has an information page on cherry laurels, including P. lusitanica . Use this plant as a hedge or privacy screen or even as a topiary specimen. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Leaves may be damaged by vine weevil and leaf-mining moths. Powdery mildew is possible. More information on Prunus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Dense; Multi-stemmed; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate, simple, glossy dark green leaves and 2/1/2 to 5 inches long with light undersides. They resemble bay laurel.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Wheel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, 1/2 inch, white fragrant flowers on 6 to 10 inch narrow racemes in summer. Flowers have five small white petals.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small cherry-like drupe 1/2 inch in diameter, green or reddish green at first, turning dark purple or black when ripe in late summer or early autumn.
Bark color
Black; Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Spain and Portugal, Morocco
Distribution
Great Britain, United States west coast
Wildlife value
This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
The fruit is edible if fully ripe, but if it is bitter, it is toxic and should not be eaten.
Uses (ethnobotany)
A green dye can be obtained from the leaves or fruit.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Walkways
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Barrier; Border; Hedge
Garden tags
#evergreen #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly #butterfly friendly #larval host plant #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly #hedge #ornamental shrub #ornamental tree #dense growth #spreading
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Drought
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
Belongs to a genus whose stems, leaves, and seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting. Can produce brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting, shock.