I think it is. My neighbour has both. The cherry laurel is awful - it grows fast and smothers everything in its path. The Portuguese laurel in their front garden seems very well behaved. I'd say it has a medium growth rate. It also looks a LOT nicer
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I think I agree with Hostafan. It looks close but not quite. Ours has red stems. I know it it the right one, lusitanica.
Could it be the lower growing one? I think something called Otto Lykyens , sorry can't quite remember the name, it is something like that. No time to check, cooking dinner.
I agree it isn't Portuguese laurel, for the reasons given re the stems. There's a lot of it round here, and it's neater in habit, and can be kept tighter more easily as a hedge, so it's often better for smaller sites too. There's one variety of cherry [?] laurel called Otto something or other. Sorry can't recall the exact name, but it has longer, narrower foliage like the pic suggests.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Just had a look at the Portugese Laurel in my neighbour's front garden. The older stems are no longer red, but this year's growth is red. The new shoots growing from the stems are also quite red, but soon changes to green.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
thankyou everyone for your replies. I can see from @Rubytoo link that it is def the Otto variety. Looks to be a nice evergreen shrub. Is Jacksons nursery a good place to buy stuff from in everyone's experience? Many thanks for all of you who took the time to reply to me X.
Yes, I think @Rubytoo has the right ID! The leaf shape is the best match. Interesting what you say about the changing colour of stems as Portuguese laurel ages @Pete.8, I've noticed that on my plants.
If you have dry or sandy soil @Copperdog, added organic matter will help to get your shrub off to a good start. Good luck!
Posts
My neighbour has both.
The cherry laurel is awful - it grows fast and smothers everything in its path.
The Portuguese laurel in their front garden seems very well behaved.
I'd say it has a medium growth rate.
It also looks a LOT nicer
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The plant in the photo has green stems. Prunus lusitanica has red stems.
I think it looks like an aucuba.
Ours has red stems. I know it it the right one, lusitanica.
Could it be the lower growing one? I think something called Otto Lykyens , sorry can't quite remember the name, it is something like that.
No time to check, cooking dinner.
I can't see if it still has as it's getting dark.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/prunus-otto-luyken.html
Nice plant, but very slow growing. I got impatient with it and replaced it with Portuguese laurel!
There's one variety of cherry [?] laurel called Otto something or other. Sorry can't recall the exact name, but it has longer, narrower foliage like the pic suggests.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The older stems are no longer red, but this year's growth is red. The new shoots growing from the stems are also quite red, but soon changes to green.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
If you have dry or sandy soil @Copperdog, added organic matter will help to get your shrub off to a good start. Good luck!