Prunus lusitanica 'ANGUSTIFOLIA' Portugal laurel - STANDARD TREE

Angustifolia is a popular cultivar of Portuguese laurel, valued for its more compact growth and narrower leaves. The foliage is evergreen, leathery and firmer than that of the species, slightly incurved, narrowly elliptic, 6–10 cm long and 1.5–3 cm wide, with a striking glossy surface. The leaves densely cover the entire plant and sit firmly on the branches rather than drooping. In June, slender racemes 15–25 cm long appear, composed of small, five-petalled white flowers opening from perfectly round white buds that resemble tiny pearls. They are pleasantly fragrant. After flowering, small dark drupes develop, attractive to birds but unsuitable for human consumption. The unripe, hard fruits contain trace amounts of cyanogenic compounds in the seeds, but these would have to be thoroughly chewed to pose any real risk. In autumn and winter, the colour of the younger shoots turns a deep wine-red to purple, giving the shrub a touch of extra colour. The growth rate is around 20–30 cm per year, which may not sound like much, but because new shoots branch readily, the plant gains noticeable visual density even within a single season. 

A single‑stem, or standard tree, is an attractive way to grow evergreen woody plants. It offers permanent greenery at a higher level than shrubs branching from the base, allows free passage beneath the crown, and creates an airy, bright space for underplanting. It also provides better screening from unwanted views from neighbouring windows, as the main foliage mass sits higher than in shrub forms. The eventual height depends on how the plant was trained: non‑grafted trees formed by removing side shoots along the stem reach the same height as shrub forms of the given species or cultivar, while grafted trees may exceed this by the height of the rootstock. They are commonly offered as half‑standards with a stem of around one metre, three‑quarter standards, or full standards with the crown set at approximately two metres. Like all single‑stemmed trees, they require firm staking for the first three years and a clean area above the roots, free of lawn and weeds. Portuguese laurel quickly develops strong stems, especially at the base, so after just a few years it reveals attractive, sturdy wood close to the ground, a feature often used when training shrubs into striking multi-stem forms. The bark is grey, sometimes with a hint of beige, relatively smooth and almost invites a touch.

Its origin dates back to the late 19th century, when the first references to a narrow-leaved form of Portuguese laurel appeared in specialist literature. In 1892, the French dendrologist Élie‑Abel Mouillefert (1845–1903) described a plant under the name Myrtifolia in his book Traité des arbres et arbrisseaux; a year later, the German botanist Leopold Dippel (1827–1914) introduced a strikingly similar, possibly identical form under the name Angustifolia in his Handbuch der Laubholzkunde. Given the exceptionally low variability of the species, most experts today believe this was the same phenotype discovered independently by two authors. Nevertheless, millions of probably identical plants are still sold worldwide under two different names, and no published DNA analysis has yet definitively confirmed or disproved their identity.

Portugal laurel prefers deep soils with ample nutrients and moisture, but thanks to its long roots it is able, over time, to find both nutrients and water almost anywhere. The soil must be well drained – it does not tolerate waterlogging. Once established, it copes very well with prolonged summer droughts and the heat of southern Europe. Nevertheless, it performs best in the moist climate typical of Great Britain, north‑western Europe (the Benelux countries) and the peat‑rich regions of northern Germany, where additional moisture promotes denser foliage. In acidic soils the leaves develop a deeper colour, although this is not essential for healthy growth; simply avoid strongly calcareous soils. Mulching is particularly beneficial for young and newly planted specimens, helping to retain moisture around the roots and protecting them from temperature fluctuations in winter. Hardiness is high – better than that of large‑leaved cherry laurels – because its thinner leaves manage water more efficiently in winter and are less prone to dehydration and scorch. Established plants (approximately 3–5 years after planting) can tolerate temperatures down to −27 °C (USDA zone 5b). Fertilising is possible but not necessary; the use of mycorrhiza at planting is ideal. Pruning can be carried out in early spring to encourage branching or in mid‑summer for shaping. The plant also tolerates deep rejuvenation pruning into old wood.

Last update 17-01-2013; 07-02-2026