Cherry laurel is a medicinal evergreen plant. Some novice gardeners are sure that this is a hybrid of laurel with cherries. However, this shrub has nothing to do with these plants. And it got its name due to the similarity of its leaves with bay, and fruits - with cherries. The plant is used as an ornamental and fruit crop. Useful berries are used in medicine, winemaking, cooking.
Shrub description
Cherry laurel is a perennial plant reaching a height of up to 10 m. It belongs to the genus Plum. According to some sources, the homeland of the shrub is America, according to others - the Western Caucasus. Very often, the plant can be found in Asian and European countries where a temperate climate prevails.
The shrub has a long and branched root system. A characteristic feature of cherry laurel is dark green glossy leaves.
A very interesting feature is thatleaves on the branches make up the so-called variation series. That is, one part of the leaves is in descending order, and the other part is in ascending order. This property is characteristic of some plants and is extremely rare.
Shrub begins to bloom in April-May. The flowers are in the form of white candles 20 cm high. What does laurel cherry smell like? Gardeners have determined that the shape of the flowers and their aroma are similar to the smell of bird cherry. After flowering, small fruits appear on the shrub. They have a sweet and sour, tart, pleasant taste. The yield of laurel cherry is 120 kg per plant.
However, it should be remembered that the bones, bark and leaves of the bush are poisonous. They contain poison - amygdalin.
If you pickle cherry-plum berries in brine, then in some dishes they can replace olives and black olives.
Popular laurel varieties
There are more than 400 species of shrubs in the world. However, only some of them are grown in central Russia.
| Variety name | Description |
| Medicinal | The most popular type, belongs to the genus Plum and is actively used in folk and modern medicine. Outwardly, it looks like a small shrub. It reaches a height of no more than 3 m. It has high frost resistance, shade tolerance and productivity. The plant prefers exclusively calcareous, humus-calcareous soils. It has decorative properties, therefore it is used in landscape design. Easily transfers molding. The fruits have a unique mineral and vitamin composition, so they are often used for medical purposes. |
| Portuguese | This is a large shrub with beautiful, ovoid leaves with red veins. This plant begins to bloom at the end of July. Grows slowly. The fruits are small, dark red. |
| Lusitan | Medium-sized shrub, reaches a height of 5 m. For normal growth requires well-moistened soil. However, if there is an excess of moisture in the soil, it may die. This species does not tolerate frost well, so it can winter only if there is shelter. This species tolerates pruning well. |
| Mount Vernon | This is a compact shrub that can easily fit even in a small area. This species reaches a height of no more than 0.5 m, and a width of 1-1.5 m. The leaves have unique decorative properties. Each of them has a jagged edge, and the length does not exceed 8 cm. Laurel cherry prefers fertile soil and plenty of light. This variety should be covered for the winter. |
| Rotunfolia | This is an evergreen shrub reaching a height of up to 4 m. The leaves are ovoid, up to 15 cm long. This variety blooms in early May. The flowers are white. Light-loving plant prefers to grow in well-lit areas. |
After studying the most popular species, it becomes clear why laurel cherry is so popular in Russia. Its unique features can be used not only in landscape design, but also forhealing of the whole organism.
Reproducing with seeds
Cultivation of medicinal laurel cherry is carried out in several ways. One of the most popular is seed propagation. It should be noted that it is necessary to plant seeds immediately after harvest. When storing such planting material, its germination decreases by 10 times. To prolong the viability of the seeds, they are placed in a humid environment.
Stages of germinating planting material:
- Pour soil into the growing container and sow the seeds to a depth of 1 cm.
- Cover the container with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 months.
- Then they take it out and begin to germinate at room temperature.
- The first sprouts are allowed to grow and planted in a permanent place in the spring.
It should be noted that the less developed the root system, the better the plant takes root.
Cutting
The most difficult way to propagate laurel cherries is cuttings. Steps of the time-consuming method:
- In the second half of June, the stiff parts of the plant are cut. Then they are divided into parts, no more than 10–12 cm in length.
- It is necessary to prepare the soil in advance and pour it into the container. The optimal ratio for this plant is 1 part of humus or peat to 1 part of river sand. At the bottom of the containers, a drainage layer is made of fine gravel or expanded clay.
- Prepared cuttings are planted incontainers and put in a greenhouse. Now the plant needs to provide comfortable conditions. Regular watering strictly on time. And on too hot days, moisturize every 2-3 hours.
- After the appearance of the root system, the cuttings are transplanted into large containers. In them, plants will grow for about 1 year. They can be transplanted to a permanent place next fall.
Specialists note that the stalk retains all the properties of the parent shrub. And in a year you can get a full-fledged plant.
Layers
To propagate laurel cherry in an arcuate way, you need to pin one branch of the plant to the ground and sprinkle with a small amount of soil. The soil near the layering is well moistened. After the root system has been formed, the plant is cut off and transplanted to another place.
Reproduction in a vertical way requires compliance with the following sequence of actions:
- At the end of autumn or early spring, the bush is completely cut off, leaving only small parts of the trunks up to 3 cm.
- In the spring, young shoots grow in this place. They should be thinned out, leaving only the he althiest and strongest.
- When the shoots reach 20 cm, they are covered with earth and only the tops are left. Water regularly.
- In the autumn, shoots can be transplanted to a new place.
This method helps to rejuvenate the plant and get several large seedlings in a short time.
Planting shrubs
After examining the photo and description of laurel cherry, it is necessarydetermine where to start growing it. For some gardeners, this plant is first grown in special containers in a greenhouse or at home. Then they are transplanted into open ground.
There are a few rules to remember when growing a plant:
- Cherry laurel prefers to grow in well-lit areas or places with diffused light. Cannot tolerate direct sunlight.
- Grows well and develops at a temperature of +20…+25 degrees.
- Shrub prefers loose, fertile, not very acidic soil.
- During active growth, the plant needs regular watering. However, it should be remembered that stagnant water near the root will lead to the death of the shrub.
- Cherry laurel is recommended to be fed once a month from April to September.
Plant a plant in open ground in early spring or late autumn. For this, a hole is prepared in advance (0.8 by 0.8 m in size), then fertilizers are applied. When planting bay cherry, the root neck is not completely buried in the ground.
Plant care
Cherry laurel does not require special care. It is enough to provide her with regular pruning. At least once a year.
Special products designed for flowering shrubs are used as fertilizer.
The plant needs moderate watering. So, in the summer it is enough to water once a week. However, on especially dry days, additional moistening is carried out.
Useful properties of culture
Beyond applicationlaurel cherries in landscape design, it is actively used:
- as a pillow to improve sleep and get rid of insomnia, however, you can sleep on such a pillow for no more than 3 hours;
- in industry, to give dairy products an almond flavor;
- as a natural anti-inflammatory agent;
- in medicine, to obtain a sedative, by distillation of fresh leaves;
- as a cosmetic product to strengthen hair follicles and get rid of baldness.
Many experts do not recommend that people abuse the use of poisonous parts of the plant for medicinal purposes. Since their improper use can lead to severe poisoning.
Conclusion
Cherry laurel is a wonderful plant that will decorate any site, as well as an excellent raw material for the preparation of tinctures, extracts, medicines.
