Prunus lusitanica - Portugal laurel

Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is an evergreen shrub used as a hedge, screen, and low windbreak. The fully ripe fruit is edible in small quantities, but bitter fruit or seed contains toxic cyanogenic compounds and should be avoided.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 6¹
• Hardiness zone 7¹
• Hardiness zone 8¹
• Hardiness zone 9¹
• Full sun¹
• Semi-shade¹
• Moist soil¹

Outputs

• Human food¹
• Medicinal use¹
• Dye¹

Type

• Shrub
• Evergreen

Functions

• Windbreak¹
• Hedge¹
• Fire resistance²³

Footnotes

1. Prunus lusitanica | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²

2. Fire Retardant Flora, Glen Forrest Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, adapted from “Trees and Plants for Bush Fire Prone Areas,” Fire and Emergency Services Authority (Western Australia), 2002, listed as Portugal Laurel ↩

3. Lower Risk Plants for Hedges, Privacy, Screening, FireSmart BC, listed as Laurel - Portuguese, Prunus lusitanica ↩