Prunus Laurocerasus ‘Reynvaanii’ (Russian Laurel)

This Laurel variety hails from south eastern Europe, growing to around 3m x 3m (unless you chop it) The glossy leaves are dark green and slender with a glorious varnished shine on them.

Plant this shrub singly and you can see how the ascending branches create a kind of conical vase-shape with a dense and substantial rounded crown. Very handsome when grown this way.

‘Reynvannii’ is also a smashing choice for hedging, establishing fast. Not all of us have Hampton Court levels of patience and this one puts on some decent growth quickly. If you want to establish a hedge or screen as part of your garden design, we’d plump for this and plant it (we’ll do it for you if you like) and before you know it there’s actually a proper hedge, not that row of green–and-gap where one day a hedge may eventually be. As it has a good wind tolerance we happily suggest planting this to create patches of sheltered calm on a blustery site too: hardy and unfazed by much, consider them big solid bouncers that will hulk protectively around your gardens’ more delicate VIP inhabitants.

Abundant white flowers will fizz out of the thick foliage from May- June and these are an irresistible draw for bees as well as pumping out perfume for us to enjoy.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.