Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel
New life nursery & garden
Sold out.
Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken'
'Otto Luyken' is a compact cultivar that grows only 3-4 feet tall and spreads to 6-8 feet. Over time it can grow 6-10 feet tall. It is free-flowering. Prunus laurocerasus commonly called cherry laurel or English laurel is a broad, dense, spreading, evergreen shrub. Lustrous, oblong, dark green leaves (to 6” long). Foliage is evergreen with no fall color. Tiny, cup-shaped, creamy white flowers in upright clusters (racemes to 5” long) bloom from the leaf axils in April-May. Flowers have a powerful aroma. Flowers give way to somewhat inconspicuous black drupes that ripen in mid-summer. This fruit is basically inedible for humans (bitter aftertaste) but is loved by local bird populations. Best grown in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates shade. Good soil drainage is essential. Plants generally prefer sun in the cooler areas of the growing range (USDA Zone 6) and shadier conditions in the hotter areas of the growing range (USDA Zone 8).
