Prunus laurocerasus 'GAJO'® cherry laurel

Gajo is a novelty Bobkovišeň that was discovered as a natural mutation of Otto Luyken variety by Wilhelmus P.C.Nouws in Dutch town Zundert in 1996. It has smaller, darker green and very glossy leaves, and makes a neat, mounded or almost spherical-shaped shrub. In May appear erect racemes of small, creamy white, fragrant flowers that are followed by purple-black, spherical fruit (berries), loved by birds, not edible for humans, but not poisonous. Only the seeds from green, unripe fruit may cause some problems. Unless you want to keep the fruit for birds in your garden, you can prune the plant right after flowering to encourage new and clean growths without fruit.

Laurels need slightly deep and fertile, preferably acidic, moist soil, and extra watering in frost-free periods in winter as prevention from drying out before the ground gets frozen. They will thrive in full sun or part shade, and will also tolerate being grown in full shade but may loose their shape. Laurels seldom suffers from chlorosis (leaves turning yellow owing to lack of iron in the soil) but when it happens use a special liquid soil pH balancer to keep it acidic or add plenty of iron-rich fertilizer. Once established they run their roots deep enough to absorb nutrients from lower, usually clay ground. Gajo is very hardy and survives well lower parts of USDA zone 5 with temperatures down to -29°C.

Last update 26-03-2013