Further Information about Laurel Hedging

About Laurel Hedges

Laurel hedge plants are one of the most popular hedging types available. Native to South-Eastern Europe and North-West Asia, and since has become a common plant available across the UK and northern Europe.  Laurel hedging was first introduced to the UK by from Constantinople in 1576 as a gift given by the Ambassador to the Emperor of Constantinople.

Aside from conifers, they’re the fastest-growing evergreen hedges, making them ideal for screening and privacy. Gardeners select laurel, for this reason, creating secluded outdoor spaces that they can enjoy in the privacy of their own home. Characterised by it’s large, bright green and shiny leaves that produce a mass of white flowers in the summer months, laurel hedge later develops non-edible red berries that darken over time.

Gardeners also opt for laurel hedging due to the ability to grow almost anywhere. Laurel will grow in deep shade or full sun, making it one of the most resistant and easily-established hedging types available.

Types of Laurel Hedge Plants

Here at Hopes Grove Nurseries, we offer a wide range of laurel hedging varieties, so you’re bound to find one suitable for your needs. We offer the following varieties of laurel hedges:

  • Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis). The Bay tree is an excellent evergreen for hedging or topiary and is the same plant that yields the aromatic bay leaves used in the kitchen. 
  • Common Laurel (or Cherry Laurel) is the most popular and fastest-growing variety, it has beautiful big glossy evergreen leaves and is a great choice for all types of evergreen hedging and is available from us in a very wide range of sizes including bare root and root ball hedge plants as well as instant hedging.
  • Caucasica Laurel is similar to Common Laurel and grows at least as fast but with slightly more upright growth and narrower leaves. It is particularly tough and hardy, ideal for all types of evergreen hedging.
  • Etna Laurel is a very bushy variety of Common Laurel that covers particularly well, especially in more difficult situations such as shade. 
  • Portuguese Laurel is a particularly attractive variety that has smaller glossy deep green leaves and rich purple-red stems, it is the hardiest variety of Laurel hedging that we supply.
  • Compact Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’) is an excellent smaller variety of Cherry Laurel that is ideal for Laurel hedges up to 1 metre in height.
  • The Spotted Laurel (Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’) is in fact from a different plant family but has similar large evergreen leaves that are splashed with yellow and makes an excellent low maintenance hedge.

As a general guide three plants per metre in a single row is perfectly adequate for a new Laurel hedge, for faster results you could use 5 plants per metre in a double row for bare root Laurels and potted Laurel hedging up to 90/120cm in size.

Why Choose Hopes Grove Nurseries?

Hopes Groves Nurseries are renowned UK hedge specialists, growing and tending to a number of hedge varieties for the benefit of homeowners and green-fingered gardeners across the UK. From privet hedging to birch hedge plants, we’re known nationwide for our great range of extremely high-quality plants. For over 30 years, we’ve perfected our growing and cultivating methods to bring you our fresh plants, delivered straight to your door.

Based in the UK’s Garden of England, our Kentish plants are lovingly grown and cared for across our multiple sites totalling over 80-acres. Our team have gathered knowledge about our half a million hedging plants we grow on-site. Our committed team members, from sales to planters work tirelessly all year-round to ensure your plants are in the best condition when they reach you. Our growers in particular work in all weathers to make our business a success.

We grow the vast majority of hedging plants ourselves, meaning we have complete control over the growing process from start to finish. This means we can maintain the appropriate quality control measures required for fresh, high standard plants. If you want to learn more about our laurel hedge varieties, do not hesitate to contact our incredible team. We’re passionate about all things plants and would love to help you with your enquiries.

Take a look at our laurel hedging range above, or simply get in touch with our exceptional sales team for more information.