An evergreen shrub that flowers right through the winter, when almost nothing else does, and follows with dark metallic berries.
Laurustinus is the backbone shrub a lot of gardens are missing. Dense, bushy and glossy dark green all year, it takes clipping and makes an informal hedge or a screen, and from late autumn to spring it carries flat heads of small flowers when very little else is out. Bees work them on mild winter days, and the berries that follow feed birds.
Plant it in most well-drained soils, chalk and clay included, in full sun or partial shade. Laurustinus grows wild on sea cliffs and takes a coastal garden well, though it does want shelter from the fiercest drying winds. Water it through its first season; after that it is drought tolerant and needs little more than a light trim once the flowers are over. The berries are harmful if eaten.
Supplied as an established plant in a 3 litre pot, ready to plant out or pot on.
Cultural Information
Common Name: Laurustinus
Fully Grown Height and Spread: 1.2 to 3m tall and wide, depending on the variety
Growth Habit: Bushy, dense and rounded
Perfect For: Informal hedging, screening, mixed borders, larger containers and wildlife gardens
Foliage: Evergreen, glossy dark green oval leaves
Flowering Time: Late autumn to spring, flat heads of pink buds opening white
Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, good in a coastal garden with some shelter, and drought tolerant once established
Soil Type: Most well-drained soils, including chalk and clay
Hardiness: Fully hardy across Britain
Maintenance: Low; a light trim after flowering if it needs shaping
Seasonal Interest: Flowers from late autumn through winter into spring, with berries into the summer
Type: Evergreen shrub
