Prunus lusitanica 'Ybrazo1' TICO® Portugal laurel

You can easily fall in love with this Portugal laurel if you like evergreen plants. It will enchant you with its lush, glossy leaves. They are large, thick, somewhat undulated, and emerge coppery orange, turn soft green, and mature to dark green in summer. They resemble foliage of viburnum odoratissimum Awabuki which is not hardy enough for zone 6 so here we have a tough and beautiful alternative. Young twigs are red flushed, in autumn change to rich burgundy red, and remain so until spring.

Blossoms appear on slightly older plants. They are cherry-laurel-like racemes, compound of white, sweetly scented flowers, and appear in late May and early June. Fruits are black berries, and seeds from unripe berries contain a small amount of the same poison found in bitter almonds, so there is very little danger for humans, however, this plant would be dangerous for cattle.

TICO® is a compact selection of Azores laurel, still it grows quite fast (30-40 cm), and makes slightly arching branches. If you wish to keep it smaller or shape it, prune it in early April or in mid July. It can be used as a beautiful specimen, in a hedge, or in a mixed bed combined with other evergreen shrubs of different foliage size, shape, and colour.

Portugal laurel loves full sun but will grow almost anywhere. In locations with cold and long winters we suggest finding it a place without direct winter sunlight that might burn its leaves. Once established it tolerates periods of summer drought. On the other hand, the moister the soil is the richer and healthier foliage you can expect. The soil is preferred acidic, well-drained, and rich in organic matter – it benefits from clay at the bottom part of its root system but may not be transplanted into pure clay. In winter provide extra watering in frost-free periods when the ground is not frozen. Hardiness has not yet been tested under all possible conditions but is expected to abt. -25°C (USDA zone 6).

Last update 07-10-2018