Light Needs
Mature Height
Mature Spread
Growing Zones
Schipka Cherry Laurel, Skip Cherry Laurel, English Laurel Schipkaensis, or Prunus Laurocerasus Schipkaensis, is an upright, broad-leaf evergreen shrub you can enjoy all season long. This beautifully fragrant rebloomer has spiny white flowers with yellow button centers that bloom in May, then again, in the summer. It has deep green, leathery, foliage with long narrow leaves that are approximately 4 to 5 inches in length. Flowers are followed by small deep-red to black ornamental fruit in the late summer to early fall. It is 4 to 6 feet tall and has a spread of 6 to 8 feet.
The Schipka Cherry Laurel is native from southeastern Europe to Iran, and is a welcome addition to any contemporary or cottage garden. Songbirds of all types love the dense canopy of the schipka for safe, protected nesting, and birds spread the seeds of the plant. It is an aggressive grower with competitive roots.
Schipka Cherry Laurel Care
Schipka Cherry Laurel prefers partial sun to dappled shade, and should be planted in a spot protected from harsh wind and cold. Your Schipka should be planted in soil with good-drainage, though it can work with even poor soils. It will need to be watered regularly, especially on hot days. It can tolerate salt-spray and works well in coastal communities. You should feed your Laurel every year with organic fertilizer, but be careful not to over fertilize.
Pruning your Schipka Cherry Laurel for shaping and size control should take place after the plant has bloomed in spring. Skip Cherry Laurel looks best when cuts are made back within the shrub, but it can be heavily pruned without damaging the plant.
Schipka Cherry Laurel Spacing
The Schipka Cherry Laurel is beautiful as a border grouping or in a garden bed. It can be used as a screen or privacy barrier, without blocking the view, and looks fantastic at the edges of woodland gardens. Schipka is perfect as a low to medium hedge or wide bed. It also works well in urban environments and can be planted alongside Holly or Liriope. Schipka is vase, or goblet shaped, and should be paired with plants that help make the open bottom branches.
Schipka Cherry Laurel Plant Facts
Growing Conditions
- Hardiness ZonesGrowing Zones
- USDA Zones 6 to 8 (perennial); grown as an annual elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown indoors elsewhere (outdoors year-round); grown in containers elsewhere (grown as a seasonal crop)
- Sun Exposure
- Part Shade to Part Sun (3-6 Hours Direct Sun)
- Mature Height
- 5-6 Feet
- Mature Spread
- 6-8 Feet
- Growth Rate
- Fast
- Growth Habit
- , Upright, Spreading
- Water Needs
- Average
Flowers & Foliage
- Flower Colors
- , White
- Flower Description
- White
- Bloom Time
- Mid-Spring
- Blooms On
-
Old Wood
?
"Blooms on" tells you which stems produce flowers, which decides when it's safe to prune.
- New Wood: Flowers form on stems that grow this season. Prune in late winter or early spring without losing blooms.
- Old Wood: Flower buds form on last year's stems. Prune right after flowering. Pruning in fall or early spring removes next year's blooms.
- Both New and Old Wood: Blooms on last year's stems and again on new growth, so it flowers even after a hard winter or a mistimed pruning. Prune lightly after the first flush of blooms.
- When to Prune
- Right after flowering
- Foliage Color
- , Green
- Foliage Description
- Glossy Green
- Foliage Type
- , Evergreen
- Seasonal Interest
- , Spring Flowering, 4 Season Interest, Winter Interest
Garden Benefits
Plant Overview
- Common Name
- Schipka Cherry Laurel
- Botanical Name
- PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS 'SCHIPKAENSIS'
- Plant Type
- Tree
Simple Plant Spacing Calculator
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
Also Known As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
Also Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
Also Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
Also Known As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
Also Known As:
#5 Container
5 Gallon
Plant Age:
~3-4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 20" - 60"
Pot Size:
~11" H x 10 1/2” W
Volume:
3.5 - 4 gallons
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This plant cannot be shipped to the following states: AK, HI. These restrictions apply only to this specific plant due to agricultural regulations or other limitations. Other plants may still be available for shipping to these states.
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