Prunus l. 'Novita' - 60cm-80cm

Prunus laurocerasus 'Novita' or Cherry Laurel is an exceptional, fast-growing fully evergreen structural shrub. Hailed by tree specialists as a modern upgrade to the classic 'Rotundifolia' laurel, it was specifically bred to deliver a much tougher, more resilient, and disease-resistant evergreen barrier. It serves as the premier "problem-solver" choice for exposed, windswept rural properties and challenging urban boundaries alike. The leaves are large, thick, and leathery, displaying a slightly longer, narrower shape than standard round-leaf laurels. They possess a brilliant, highly reflective emerald-green sheen that gleams under winter sunlight.

Key Features

• Growth Habit: A dense, vigorously branching, upright shrub. If left unpruned, it can eventually reach 4 to 6 metres in height with a spread of 2 to 4 metres. 
• Foliage: Features large, thick, leathery leaves that are a brilliant, glossy dark green. The leaves retain their rich emerald sheen right through the depths of winter.
• Flowers: In mid-spring, typically April to May, it erupts with striking, upright candle-like spikes packed with small, creamy-white flowers. The blossoms carry a sweet, subtle fragrance that draws in early insects. 
• Fruit: Following summer pollination, the flower spikes develop into small, spherical, glossy red berries that mature to dark purple or black by late summer and autumn. 
• Toxicity Warning: Like all cherry laurels, the leaves and seeds contain toxic compounds and are toxic if ingested by humans, dogs, cats, or livestock.

Growing Conditions

• Placement: Eminently flexible. It thrives effortlessly in positions ranging from full sun to partial shade and even deep, dense shade under mature trees.
• Soil : It adapts seamlessly to clay, loam, sand, and chalky soil profiles. It handles acidic, neutral, and alkaline pH ranges comfortably.
• Moisture Limits: Prefers moist but well-drained soil. Once its root network is fully established, it exhibits excellent drought resistance, but it cannot tolerate waterlogged or permanently boggy ground.
• Hardiness & Exposure: Rated as exceptionally cold-hardy, safely withstanding severe winter drops down to -25°C. It deflects harsh, biting winter winds and heavy frost with ease, making it a reliable shelterbelt option.
• Maintenance & Pruning: Fast-growing, putting on 30 to 60 cm of fresh growth annually. for best results to maintain a tidy formal boundary, it should be clipped 1 to 2 times a year. 

Wildlife Value

• Pollinator Support: The spring flower spikes produce substantial nectar and pollen. They act as a valuable food source for emerging bumblebees, solitary bees, and hoverflies during the early foraging season.
• While entirely unsafe for humans and mammalian pets, the autumn black berries are a highly prized, energy-rich winter food source for local birds, such as thrushes, starlings, and blackbirds.
• Year-Round Sanctuary: Because 'Novita' retains its dense, leathery foliage and rigid branches through the most severe winter freezes, it provides supreme thermal shelter and camouflage. Birds heavily rely on its thick interior to nest safely out of the path of driving rains and low-temperature gales.