Comments on: English Laurel as Privacy Hedge: “Act of Aggression Against Oneself and One’s Neighbor”

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:31:40 +0000

bexsoda: It sounds like your laurels may be growing in shade. Or perhaps your colder winters diminish growth. Here in Seattle they can grow pretty much yr round since we only get brief freezes. And the growth is much more in the 3-5 feet a yr range.

I don't have a problem w. them as long as they are grown in the right place & for the right reason & by an owner who respects the needs of their neighbors.

By: bexsoda

bexsoda — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:01:18 +0000

i live in new jersey. i have had laurels for three years and they grow only a foot or two a year. i know they must be very annoying to you, but here they are not a problem at all. today i was looking at 1 gallon containers and they were $50.00. start selling them online :), maybe that will make you will love them.

By: Rose Ma

Rose Ma — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:14:38 +0000

Richard, thank you very much for your quick reply and comments about the laurel. I just got home from the weekend vocation.
I saw two English laurels standing in the city park. They are large and beautiful, with big shade. Because the old large tree, which usually provided a big shade for my driveway, is dead, I just need to grow another big tree to replace the dead one. I don¡¦t mind how tall it grows, but the taller the better, and I don¡¦t care how wide it expends, but the wider the better, because I need its big shade and also its fast growing speed. I do not plant a hedge, but a shade. For this reason, English laurel sounds one for me. For this reason, if I plant an English laurel, I will not trim it except its lower part over the driveway. I will trim it like a doorway. However, the testimonies on the website and the warning from you make me worry about its¡¦ uncontrollable expending. It should be plant by the street. Most lawns on both side of the street are not larger than 800 sqft. If not all but most landlords have their lawns maintained monthly. Will it help to stop the English laurel from expending its territory?
Which else tree can grow fast and tall with large crown? I live in the Silicon Valley south to San Francisco .
Thank you again for your kind help.

By: Rose Ma

Rose Ma — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:32:40 +0000

I have an old tree (about 40 feet high and wide) at the corner of my driveway and the street sidewalk in front of my house in California. It usually provided a good view and nice shadow to my car especially in sunny summer. However, it is dead. I have to plant another tree, tall, wide, and fast growing, to replace the dead old tree. In this case, do you think English Laurel will be an acceptable plant? Thanks.

By: neels du plessis

neels du plessis — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:45:23 +0000

I love the colour/color of my English laurel! But…

I think English laurel is a hopeless choice as a hedge for especially smaller town garden in areas with a milder climate and higher rainfall - Just as bad as the local (Vancouver Island) cedars and all but upright conifers, in my humble opinion. It was almost amusing to read about other people and their English laurel hedges! Almost, because I have 60 feet of hedge on the eastern side and 75 feet on the western side of my small property (7000 sq feet) to “maintain”.

I also have a small landscaping firm and love English laurels because… they give me income!

Two years ago I asked my neighbour on the eastern side permission to prune the hedge on his side and made it four feet lower as well. He looked extremely relieved and very gladly said “certainly, no objection!” I then realized that for the sake of good neighbourlyness I will have to prune the hedge at least twice a year in future, resrtricting the height to eight feet and the width to two feet. Now my neighbour loves me, greets me and brings me blue berries every year.

The longer hedge screens out a busy street, little birds like the shelter it provides and a pair of robins loves to nest in it - that is the good part… It was 10 feet wide and 12 feet tall a year ago. One could actually see it on Google Earth! I could not even reach the middle to prune it. I had to take action. I went to the local rental store and got a chainsaw for four hours. Then I cut a stick down to four feet as a gadge and “simply” chainsawed my hedge to four feet width. My significant others thought I lost my mind, but now will have to admit that the English laurel really recovers very well after butchering. It even grows in winter!

Happy gardening!

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:14:45 +0000

I live in WA. near the Puget Sound. English laurel is everywhere here. It must like a wet climate (though we get significant heat & dryness in summer). I wonder whether yr elevation & cold (I’m assuming) winter climate might tone down the laurel’s growing habits somewhat.

If you want advice about screens you might try Gardenweb. Do you know that site? People there tend to give good advice. Let me know if you need a URL for it.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:56:09 +0000

what state do you live in -im in calif -just under 3000 ft–everyone i know that has it doesnt have an invasive problem–im going to ask a nursery and see what they say about this -they are in the sun-and some of them are only 4′ after 7yrs-but most are getting to be 15′ or more–it has to be the soil.what we have coming up like weeds are ponderosa pines-they seems to like the clay–does anybody know any quick growing tall screens you can use over a septic system?ive planted boxwood and rosemary

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:27:15 +0000

its not invasive

It most assuredly IS invasive. THe only reason you might not find it so is if your laurels cause so much shade that the seedlings can’t germinate. Maybe yr soil contributes to them not germinating I don’t know. But I assure you if you plant a laurel in anything like open terrain or near open terrain you’ll have scores, if not hundreds of volunteers a few weeks after it drops its berries. And it will do this every yr.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:08:31 +0000

wow-im surprised to hear the negatives on this plant.Its seen in my area-it has givin us privacy(im so glad the neighbore planted it-!)7 yrs later its not invasive and i wouldnt mind and wish i could get seedlings.the poisonous part is good to know-the deer did eat the ones i planted to block out my other neighbors tho.we have heavy clay soil here so it may make a difference in the invasiveness.ask a nursery for any suggestions on the invasive problem.total veg. killer should work-but kills everything around it too.round up should help.maybe there s something else to put on the soil thats not toxic

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:35:03 +0000

Ken: As long as you realize that you can’t just plant “an English laurel or two.” If you plant one you’ll constantly be plucking out scores of seedlings ea. yr. unless you want them to grow into trees as well. They’re prolific. Though I recognize they ARE easy to grow & cheap.

Sycamores are wonderful & I love that option if you’re near water (which they love). Maples can be a problem if your land gets really soaked through as they tend to topple in big winds or heavy rains. That’s why the natives are so good because they’ve adapted to these conditions.

I’ve just started a Korean Hornbeam which I picked up at a horticulture garden sale. It will grow between 15-20 feet. So far it looks lovely but it doesn’t seem to grow very fast which may not be what you’re looking for.