Plant of the Month

Every month we will be showcasing one of our lines that we are most excited about. This month we are looking at the little known Prunus laurocerasus ‘Etna’. Little known but an amazing addition to the laurel repertoire.

Selling Prunus l. ‘Rotundifolia’ always has the edge where we need to advise clients about growth, ongoing maintenance, leaf colour etc. While Rotundifolia is a landscaping staple and rightly has a place in landscaping schemes ‘Etna’ is a great addition and is being used more and more.

Easy to remember the name as the new growth has an orange / russet tint – volcanic even! If you give them a second cut you will also enjoy the blushing new growth later in the year. But the most impressive thing about this plant is it’s size. The seasonal extension growth on an Etna is in the region of 20-30cms. It’s habit is very dense and if left unpruned, the final height will only be 2.5 metres. Imagine leaving a Prunus l. ‘Rotundifolia’ unpruned! Otherwise ‘Etna’ has the same growing  requirements and tolerances of shade and damp, creamy white flowers, black berries, and a darker green leaf than it’s more limey coloured cousin.

We have two crops available, they are dearer than the common cherry laurel but the savings on the maintenance labour are a real benefit to this great hedging plant.