• Skip to main content
Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District Logo
  • Our Priorities
    • Clean and Abundant Water
    • Healthy Soil
    • Food & Farms
    • Thriving Habitat
    • Invasive Species Management
    • Resilient Forests
  • Our Programs
    • Rural Conservation
    • Urban Conservation
    • Forest Conservation
    • Habitat Conservation
    • Invasive Species
    • Conservation Education
    • Grants & Funding
  • Get Involved
  • Stay Informed
  • Subscribe
  • Our Story
  • Search
Home / Weed & Pest Directory / Species / Laurels (Prunus species)

Laurels (Prunus species)

SWCD Branded Separator
  • Laurel flowers and leaves.
  • Laurel flowers and leaves.
  • Close up of laurel flowers

Species include:

  • English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) also known as cherry laurel
  • Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) also known as Portuguese cherry laurel

English and Portuguese laurels are considered naturalized in Oregon, Washington, California, and British Columbia. These species are large evergreen shrubs or small trees and are used for landscaping, usually as a hedgerow. They are often planted as ornamentals because of their resemblance to cherry trees but can escape and infest natural areas.

Description:

Life Cycle:Evergreen
Early Detection and Rapid Response species:No
Height:• English laurel: 10 – 30 feet (5 – 10 meters)
• Portuguese laurel: 20 feet (6 meters)
Leaf Description:Dark to medium green leaves are alternately arranged. English laurel has shiny or waxy leaves whereas Portuguese laurel does not.
Fruit & Flower Description:Fragrant flowers are small and white, arranged in a cone-shaped cluster, and produce dark purple berries near the end of summer or early fall.
Bloom Time:March to April

Habitat:

  • Often grown as ornamental shrubs and trees in gardens but can escape into forest understories.
  • Hardy and can withstand tough growing conditions, including dry soils and heavy shade.

Impact:

  • Ornamental laurels can grow very large, crowding out native understory trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
  • Both species’ berries, leaves, and stems are toxic to eat.

Impact:

  • Hand pulling small laurels is effective in damp soils, it is important to remove as much of the root as possible.
  • When removing larger laurel trees, cut the trunk and stems as close to the ground as possible. Make sure to monitor the area for regrowth.

Noxious Weed Listing:

State of Oregon:Not listed
State of Washington:Monitor

More Resources:

Download the English and Portuguese Laurel Best Management Practices Factsheet

Download Factsheet
  • USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Cherry laurel
  • USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Portugal laurel
« Woody Knotweed (Polygonum species)
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) »

Posted In:

CommonForestPlantToxic
SWCD Branded Separator

Share:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
Subscribe News Icon

Email me about caring for the soil and water!

Get Involved Icon

Find an Event

Calendar of Events
Upcoming Workshops

reflection in a lake

About Us

  • Our Story
  • Our Watershed
  • Our Staff
  • Our Board
  • Careers
  • Reports & Publications

Resources

  • Event Calendar
  • Weed & Pest Directory
  • Contractor Directory
  • Library & Videos
  • Tool Loan Program
  • News

Contact Us

Tualatin Soil and Water
Conservation District
7175 NE Evergreen Pkwy #400
Hillsboro, OR. 97124

Phone: 503-334-2288
Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm
Email Us

Follow Us

العربية العربية 简体中文 简体中文 繁體中文 繁體中文 English English Filipino Filipino Français Français Deutsch Deutsch हिन्दी हिन्दी 한국어 한국어 Русский Русский Español Español Tiếng Việt Tiếng Việt

© 2022 Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District. All Rights Reserved. | Sitemap | Non-Discrimination Policy | Privacy Policy | Website Design by Hoopla Creative