Content
- 1 What does cherry laurel look like?
- 2 Types of cherry laurel
- 3 Is it possible to eat cherry laurel berries?
- 4 Taste of cherry laurel
- 5 The benefits and harms of cherry laurel
- 6 How to plant cherry laurel
- 7 Cherry laurel care
- 8 How cherry laurel propagates
- 9 Pests and diseases of cherry laurel
- 10 Beneficial features
- 11 The use of cherry laurel in medicine
- 12 Contraindications
- 13 Cherry laurel in landscape design
- 14 Conclusion
The photo of cherry laurel shows that it is a beautiful shrub with a wide but fairly compact shape. The tree is heat-loving, but many varieties can withstand even down to -30 degrees. Therefore, they can be grown in different regions of Russia. They are used to produce berries and, more often, in landscape design.
What does cherry laurel look like?
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an evergreen plant from the genus Prunus. Under natural conditions, it is found in regions with a subtropical climate. Cherry laurel grows in regions such as the Balkan Peninsula, the Caucasus, Iran, Turkey, and North America.
The leaves of the cherry laurel bush are arranged alternately, they have an oval shape, the surface is smooth, leathery. The plates are fleshy and resemble cherry leaves, but much larger. They reach 17-21 cm in length and 5-6 cm in width.Feathery veins are noticeable, the edges are smooth, the tips are pointed. Cherry laurel sheds its leaves annually and is a deciduous plant.
The bush blooms in May. Flowers with five petals, small, white. They produce stamens in large quantities. They are collected in inflorescences from 5 to 15 cm long. In mid-summer, the shrub produces ovaries, after which fruits with a diameter of up to 10 mm are formed (in each cluster from 5 to 25). The photo of cherry laurel shows that the tree looks especially beautiful during the flowering period.
Cherry laurel inflorescences appear in May
In appearance, the fruits of the bush resemble cherries:
- round shape;
- color is dark burgundy or black;
- the bone is hard;
- the pulp is juicy.
Cherry laurel fruiting begins at the age of four or five years. Under the right growing conditions, yields are consistently good.
Cherry laurel height
Cherry laurel is a shrub. Depending on weather conditions and care, it grows up to 4-10 m. The shoots are long and thin, the crown is narrow-pyramidal. It grows very quickly, the growth rate is high. Moreover, in regions with harsh climates, shrubs grow only up to 1.5-2 m.
Frost resistance of cherry laurel
The winter hardiness of cherry laurel depends on the variety. Many varieties tolerate frosts only down to -15 degrees, but there are also frost-resistant varieties. Such shrubs are capable of withstanding temperatures down to -20 even without shelter, and with insulation - up to -30 °C.
Types of cherry laurel
There are several types of cherry laurel, many of which can be grown in the climatic conditions of the middle zone, the North-West and even the Urals. The main varieties include:
- Rotundifolia is a compact shrub with beautiful leaves (up to 15 cm in length) that glisten in the sun. Cherry laurel fruits are black.The variety is drought-resistant and not picky about soil composition.
- Herbergeri is a heat-loving shrub that can only be grown in the North Caucasus and other southern regions of Russia. It has high productivity.
- Mount Vernon is an ornamental low-growing shrub, reaching only 50 cm in height and 1.5 in width. Feels normal even in the shade. Requires good shelter for the winter.
- Portuguese cherry laurel (Prúnus lusitánica) is a compact shrub reaching a height of 5 m. The leaves are bright green and glossy. It begins to bloom later than the others - from the second ten days of June. The inflorescences are not so large, but the fruits are large, painted in a rich burgundy color.
Is it possible to eat cherry laurel berries?
Cherry laurel fruits are edible. In favorable conditions, each mature shrub brings up to 100 kg of harvest. The pulp is juicy. They are consumed mainly fresh, but can also be frozen for the winter. Most often, the berries of the bush are used as a raw material for winemaking, as well as in the preparation of confectionery.
The fruits of the bush are edible and can be safely used for food.
Taste of cherry laurel
The taste of cherry laurel is quite sweet, even cloying. There is tartness and an interesting almond aroma. Unlike real cherries, the fruits of this bush do not produce sourness. They spoil too quickly. Therefore, most often it is necessary to use it in frozen or canned form - jams, preserves, fruit drinks and other preparations.
The benefits and harms of cherry laurel
The beneficial properties of cherry laurel are associated with its chemical composition. Berries contain the following components:
- steroids;
- vitamin C;
- phenolcarboxylic acids;
- tannins;
- benzaldehyde;
- catechins;
- benzyl alcohol;
- essential oils;
- triterpenoids;
- wax.
These components of the shrub perform several important functions in the body:
- prevention of inflammatory processes;
- eliminating cough;
- antibacterial effect;
- strengthening the cardiovascular system;
- reduction of pain in the gastrointestinal mucosa;
- weakening of intestinal motility;
- treatment of skin diseases;
- elimination of spasms;
- restoration of the nervous system;
- anthelmintic effect.
It should be understood that only the fruits of the bush are edible. All other parts, including bark and foliage, contain toxic substances. Therefore, they can be used to prepare tea, infusion or other products only with strict adherence to the dosage.
In some cases, if this requirement is violated, side effects may occur:
- dyspnea;
- labored breathing;
- allergic reactions;
- indigestion.
If the condition worsens sharply, it is recommended to seek emergency help. Before this, the patient should be given several tablets of activated carbon (must be chewed) and washed down with a glass of water.
How to plant cherry laurel
Planting of bush seedlings is planned for April or October. It can be grown both in open ground and in pots on terraces or insulated balconies. When choosing a location, there are several factors to consider:
- good lighting;
- dryness (no stagnation of water after rain);
- protection from draft wind.
Shrubs grow well in sunny areas
Holes should be dug at intervals of 2-3 m. If you plan to make a hedge, the distance is reduced to 1-1.5 m. The soil must first be prepared by adding compost or humus (up to 10 kg per 1 m2). If the soil is dense and clayey, add sawdust or sand in an amount of 3-5 kg for the same area.
The landing process itself is quite simple:
- Dig holes with a depth and diameter of 50-70 cm.
- Lay a drainage layer (small stones).
- Place the cherry laurel seedling in the center and straighten the roots.
- Then dig in so that the root collar remains at surface level.
- Pour in a bucket of settled water.
- Mulch with hay, straw, pine needles or other materials.
Cherry laurel care
Cherry laurel is quite demanding when it comes to watering. Water should be given to the bush once a week (if there is no rain). When hot weather sets in, watering is done twice a week. Also, during drought, you should regularly spray the crown in the evening. A bucket of settled water is used for each tree. An adult shrub can be given double the norm. In late autumn, watering is done no more than once a month.
Periodically, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed from the root zone of the bush. To keep them as small as possible, lay a layer of mulch. The plant loves feeding. In April, he is given urea or ammonium nitrate (up to 40 g per plant). On the eve of flowering, feed with rotted compost or mullein infusion 1:10. During budding and flowering, add a complex composition according to the instructions. You can give superphosphate (40 g) and potassium salt (30 g).
A very important rule of care is timely pruning of shrubs. To do this, proceed as follows:
- At the end of February or beginning of March, a sanitary pruning is carried out, all diseased, frost-damaged branches, dry, weakened shoots are removed.
- At the end of September they plan a formative pruning - outline the contours of the crown and remove all the shoots that have clearly grown.
- If the shrub is used for a summer hedge, pruning along the contour is carried out throughout the season. The shoots grow quickly, so they have to be removed every 2-3 weeks.
For the winter, shrubs are covered with agrofibre
How cherry laurel propagates
Cherry laurel can be propagated in several ways, for example, by growing it from seeds, cuttings, or getting layering. The main methods are described below.
Bones
At the end of summer, pits are collected from the ripened fruits of the cherry laurel bush and placed in a cool, damp place (for example, in the sand and in the refrigerator) for 3-4 months. In March, they are removed to a warm place for three days, planted in a pot with garden soil and peat (2:1). Water periodically and give complex fertilizer. Young cherry laurel seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place only after a year, i.e. approximately in the middle - second half of April.
Cherry laurel cuttings
The simplest and most effective way to propagate cherry laurel shrubs is by cuttings. The instructions are:
- In the first half of July, cut off young shoots from a two-year-old bush.
- Remove all leaves.
- Cut into pieces 10 cm long (each should have 2-3 buds).
- Plant in fertile, moist soil.
- Transfer the containers to the greenhouse (the temperature must be maintained at 24-27 degrees).
- Periodically water young cherry laurel bushes.
- Plant them in separate pots in the fall and send them indoors for the winter.
- You can plant young shrubs in open ground next fall.
By layering
Cherry laurel can also be propagated by layering. In this case, proceed as follows:
- At the beginning of spring, the lower young shoots are tilted, pinned, and covered with fertile soil.
- Water regularly to form healthy roots.
- In the fall, all rooted parts are cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.
- Carefully mulch the root zone of cherry laurel for the winter.
Pests and diseases of cherry laurel
The shrub is poisonous, so it is practically not affected by insects - they quickly die after being saturated with the juices of the leaves. However, it can be harmed by birds that readily feed on the berries. Therefore, it is worth installing scarecrows, traps, and ultrasonic repellers.
Gardeners also note that sometimes cherry laurel bushes are parasitized by aphids, mealybugs or scale insects. In these cases, it is recommended to treat the plant and the tree trunk with insecticides:
- "Aktara";
- "Fufanon";
- "Inta-Vir";
- "Decis".
If the cherry laurel bush is not very damaged by insects, it can be treated with folk remedies. For example, take 2 liters of whey, dissolve it in 8 liters of water and spray it every three days. You can do treatments with a solution of liquid soap (2 tbsp) with baking soda (3 tbsp) per 10 liters of water.
Shrubs should be periodically inspected and, if necessary, treated with medications.
As for diseases, cherry laurel most often suffers from powdery mildew. This fungal infection can be identified by external signs:
- white coating on the surface of the leaf plates;
- reddish shades, rings on the foliage, like a mosaic;
- the foliage dries up and falls off;
- the bush looks weakened and stops developing.
For treatment, all affected cherry laurel shoots are removed and burned.Healthy shrubs (including neighboring plantings) are sprayed with sulfur-containing preparations. It is also recommended to use fungicides:
- "Topaz";
- "Maksim";
- "Tiovit Jet";
- "Abiga-Pik" and others.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of the fruits of the shrub help to use it as an additional means of treating such pathologies and disorders:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- increased gastrointestinal motility;
- diseases of the skin and mucous membranes;
- spasms;
- neurological disorders;
- helminths, parasites in the intestines;
- cough;
- inflammatory processes in the organs of the respiratory system and others.
The use of cherry laurel in medicine
For medicinal purposes, the above-ground parts of the cherry laurel shrub are used. Facial cosmetics are made from flowers. The extract obtained from them allows you to eliminate the inflammatory process, relieve irritation, cope with acne, and tighten the skin.
Decoctions are obtained from the leaves of the cherry laurel bush to relieve spasms, relieve pain, treat coughs, and protect the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. They are also used to eliminate helminths, bacteria and viruses. Helps with gastritis, headaches, ulcers in the digestive organs.
Contraindications
It is not allowed to use fruits and other parts of the bush for medicinal purposes in the following cases:
- pregnancy (all trimesters);
- lactation period;
- children under 15 years of age inclusive;
- individual intolerance.
Often side effects are: redness, itching, rash, swelling and other allergic reactions. If such symptoms occur, it is necessary to rinse the stomach and take activated charcoal. In extreme cases, seek medical attention.
Cherry laurel in landscape design
The shrub fits very well into the design of almost any garden - large or small, in country style, English lawn and other styles. Very often it is used in single plantings, there are also other options, for example:
- Cherry laurel hedge.
- Globular shrubs.
- Single landing.
- Another hedge option based on dense placement.
- Cherry laurel on a trunk.
Conclusion
The photos of cherry laurel presented in the article demonstrate the beauty of this shrub. It grows very well and forms dense thickets. Therefore, the plant is often used to create hedges. Care is not very difficult - if you regularly water, fertilize and cover for the winter, the bushes will be healthy and very beautiful.
