Laurel Hedges are a unique group of plants, and they are particularly well-suited to hedging. They are technically in the Prunus genus and they are not “true” laurels at all! This may be why they are often called “Cherry laurels” –cherries and plums are also Prunus species.
laurel plants are broad-leafed evergreens, meaning they have wide, leathery leaves that stay on the plant all year long. This makes them ideal for privacy hedges, along with the fact that they are very fast growers. They are also highly drought-and heat-tolerant.
Types of Laurel Hedge
3 Varieties of Laurel
Types of Laurel Hedge
3 Varieties of Laurel

English Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus

Cherry Laurel
Prunus L. ‘Schipkaensis’

Portuguese Laurel
Prunus Lusitanica
A Laurel Plant By Any Other Name
Despite not being true laurels (true laurels would be in the Laurus genus, i.e. Laurus nobilis, Bay Laurel), their leathery evergreen leaves do bear some resemblance to their namesake. For our purposes, when we say “laurel”, we mean “cherry laurel”.
There are several types of laurels that have great commercial value and are very popular for landscaping. Some of the most popular are the English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), Schip laurel(Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’, also known as the Skip or Schipka laurel plant), and the Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica). The main differences between them are their hardiness zones, growth rates, growth habits, and foliage appearance. You can also check out other hedge types.

Hardiness
Laurel hedge plants grow in a lot of regions, and they are a great option for warmer areas. We at InstantHedge are always on the lookout for the best hedge varieties to grow, and we recently began production on a laurel that is hardy to Zone 5!

English Laurel
(Prunus laurocerasus) aka English laurel thrives in moderate to warm climates. It is smog tolerant and grows well in a wide range of soil types. It is drought tolerant once established.

Schip Laurel
(Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) is tough. It does extremely well in the winter, so much so that you can sometimes get away with it in warmer parts of Zone 5. It tolerates a wide range of soils and is drought tolerant once established.

Portuguese Laurel
(Prunus lusitanica) also called Portuguese laurel is great choice for warmer climates. It is smog, salt, and drought tolerant, and grows well in all kinds of soil. Excellent for coastal areas.
laurel hedge growth rate
Laurels generally grow very quickly, making them ideal for fast-growing screens.

English laurels and Schip laurels grow very fast, increasing by 1-2 feet per year in the right growing conditions. The main difference is that English laurel plant will grow up and out rapidly, while the Schip laurel grows mainly straight up and stays quite narrow.

Portuguese laurels grow quite fast as well, putting on about 1 foot of growth per year in the right conditions. The growth is a little tighter on this

Growth Habit
Looking at the natural growth habit of the different types of laurels is helpful when deciding which is the best choice for a certain location. You can see from the diagram below that the Schip laurel and Portuguese laurel will require a lot less pruning to maintain a narrow profile than the English laurel, but the English laurel will reach the tallest height the fastest. Types of Laurels will be better suited to different spaces.

Prunus laurocerasus
English Laurel
We are changing the way America Hedges