Generated on December 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Prunus lusitanica 'Myrtifolia' offers year-round beauty with fragrant white flowers from June to August and evergreen foliage. Ideal for hedging.
Evergreen beauty with shiny, dark green foliage.
Fragrant white blooms grace early summer.
Perfect choice for hedging or underplanting.
Thrives in varied soil types and conditions.
Awarded RHS Award of Garden Merit.
<p>Imagine a garden transformed by the exquisite Prunus lusitanica 'Myrtifolia'. This evergreen marvel brings a striking presence with its lush, dark green leaves that shimmer under the sun. As early summer unfolds, sprays of small, fragrant white flowers emerge, adding a touch of elegance and a delightful scent to your garden from June to August. These blooms are followed by dark purple berries that provide a subtle contrast against the glossy foliage.</p><p>Perfect for creating a natural screen or a stunning backdrop, this versatile shrub or small tree thrives in both full sun and partial shade, adapting beautifully to a variety of soil types—from chalky to sandy. Its adaptability makes it an ideal choice for beds, borders, and informal garden settings, where it can effortlessly enhance the landscape with its bushy habit and year-round interest.</p><p>Low maintenance and easy to grow, Prunus lusitanica 'Myrtifolia' rewards gardeners with its resilience and beauty. Simply plant in moist but well-drained soil, and watch it flourish. For those looking to shape their garden, pruning in late spring or early summer keeps this plant looking neat and tidy. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit, this plant promises not just beauty, but reliability and excellence.</p>
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"data": {
"scientific_name": "Prunus lusitanica",
"common_names": [
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"April"
],
"sun_exposure": "Full sun",
"soil_type": [
"Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil"
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"water_requirements": [
"Normal"
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"aspect": [
"South",
"West"
],
"foliage_type": "Evergreen",
"mature_size": "Large",
"size": "2 litre pot",
"position": "Bottom of hedges",
"special_features": [
"Low maintenance",
"Makes a good hedge or screen",
"Berries or fruit",
"Evergreen \/ semi evergreen",
"Flowering",
"Plants that help filter noise",
"Climate resilient"
],
"pollinator_friendly": true,
"toxicity": "Humans\/Pets: Harmful if eaten",
"growth_rate": "Average",
"ground_cover": false,
"plant_type": "Shrubs",
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"plant_description": "A lovely large, evergreen shrub that has dark green leaves with red stalks. Small white, slightly fragrant flowers are borne on long racemes in early summer, and often followed by small, red fruits which eventually turn dark purple (these are harmful if eaten). Portuguese laurel is an excellent hedging plant and it can even tolerate chalky soils.To find out more about how to plant a hedge, click here.",
"detailed_description": "A lovely large, evergreen shrub that has dark green leaves with red stalks. Small white, slightly fragrant flowers are borne on long racemes in early summer, and often followed by small, red fruits which eventually turn dark purple (these are harmful if eaten). Portuguese laurel is an excellent hedging plant and it can even tolerate chalky soils.To find out more about how to plant a hedge, click here.",
"eventual_height_m": 15,
"eventual_height_cm": 1500,
"eventual_spread_m": 10,
"eventual_spread_cm": 1000,
"flowering_months_detailed": [
"Apr"
],
"flowering_period": "Apr",
"position_detailed": "Full sun",
"rate_of_growth": "Average",
"soil_detailed": "Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil",
"hardiness_detailed": "Fully hardy",
"care_instructions": "When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in either spring or summer. Mature plants can tolerate hard pruning in spring, cutting back to the old wood."
},
"scraped_at": "2025-12-16T16:00:49.583063Z"
},
"scientific_name": "Prunus lusitanica 'Myrtifolia'",
"common_names": [
"Portugal laurel 'Myrtifolia'"
],
"family": "Rosaceae",
"height_cm": "400-800",
"spread_cm": "400-800",
"hardiness_zone": "H5",
"sun_exposure": "Full sun, Partial shade",
"soil_type": "Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand",
"moisture": "Moist but well-drained, Well-drained",
"soil_ph": "Acid, Alkaline, Neutral",
"foliage_type": "Evergreen",
"aspect": "East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing",
"seasonal_interest": "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter",
"habit": "Bushy",
"plant_type": "Shrub, Tree",
"time_to_maturity": "10-15 years",
"suggested_uses": [
"Beds and borders",
"Cottage\/Informal",
"Underplanting"
],
"garden_uses": [
"Low maintenance garden"
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"awards": [
"RHS Award of Garden Merit"
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"fragrant": "Yes",
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"drought_tolerant": "No",
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"Green"
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"White"
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"Autumn": {
"months": [
"Sep",
"Oct",
"Nov"
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"Foliage": [
"Green"
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"Winter": {
"months": [
"Dec",
"Jan",
"Feb"
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"Foliage": [
"Green"
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}
},
"flowering_months": [
"Jun",
"Jul",
"Aug"
],
"flower_colour": [
"White"
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"cultivation": "Easy to grow in any moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil in sun or partial shade; even thrives on poor, shallow, chalky soils. Good for hedging",
"pruning": "Pruning group 8. Prune hedges in late spring or early summer",
"propagation": "Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer",
"pests": "May be susceptible to vine weevil and leaf-mining moths",
"diseases": "May be susceptible to powdery mildews",
"toxicity": "Leaves harmful if eaten. fruit edible if ripe, but may be harmful if bitter. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling\r\nPets (dogs, rabbits, rodents): Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants",
"description": "A neat, dense, rounded or conical, evergreen shrub or small tree with dark green, shiny leaves and sprays of small, white flowers in early summer followed by dark purple berries",
"rhs_url": "https:\/\/www.rhs.org.uk\/plants\/57808\/prunus-lusitanica-myrtifolia\/details",
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{
"crocus": {
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"source": "Crocus",
"data": {
"scientific_name": "Prunus lusitanica",
"common_names": [
"Portuguese laurel"
],
"description": "Splendid hedging plant",
"url": "https:\/\/www.crocus.co.uk\/plants\/_\/prunus-lusitanica\/classid.4309\/",
"image_url": "https:\/\/img.crocdn.co.uk\/images\/products2\/pl\/00\/00\/00\/43\/pl0000004309.jpg?width=440&height=440",
"hardiness_zone": "Fully hardy",
"flower_colour": [
"White"
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"flowering_months": [
"April"
],
"sun_exposure": "Full sun",
"soil_type": [
"Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil"
],
"water_requirements": [
"Normal"
],
"aspect": [
"South",
"West"
],
"foliage_type": "Evergreen",
"mature_size": "Large",
"size": "2 litre pot",
"position": "Bottom of hedges",
"special_features": [
"Low maintenance",
"Makes a good hedge or screen",
"Berries or fruit",
"Evergreen \/ semi evergreen",
"Flowering",
"Plants that help filter noise",
"Climate resilient"
],
"pollinator_friendly": true,
"toxicity": "Humans\/Pets: Harmful if eaten",
"growth_rate": "Average",
"ground_cover": false,
"plant_type": "Shrubs",
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"crocus_in_stock": true,
"plant_description": "A lovely large, evergreen shrub that has dark green leaves with red stalks. Small white, slightly fragrant flowers are borne on long racemes in early summer, and often followed by small, red fruits which eventually turn dark purple (these are harmful if eaten). Portuguese laurel is an excellent hedging plant and it can even tolerate chalky soils.To find out more about how to plant a hedge, click here.",
"detailed_description": "A lovely large, evergreen shrub that has dark green leaves with red stalks. Small white, slightly fragrant flowers are borne on long racemes in early summer, and often followed by small, red fruits which eventually turn dark purple (these are harmful if eaten). Portuguese laurel is an excellent hedging plant and it can even tolerate chalky soils.To find out more about how to plant a hedge, click here.",
"eventual_height_m": 15,
"eventual_height_cm": 1500,
"eventual_spread_m": 10,
"eventual_spread_cm": 1000,
"flowering_months_detailed": [
"Apr"
],
"flowering_period": "Apr",
"position_detailed": "Full sun",
"rate_of_growth": "Average",
"soil_detailed": "Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil",
"hardiness_detailed": "Fully hardy",
"care_instructions": "When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in either spring or summer. Mature plants can tolerate hard pruning in spring, cutting back to the old wood."
},
"scraped_at": "2025-12-16T16:00:49.583063Z"
}
}