Schipka Cherry Laurel

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Partial Sun

(3 - 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

5-6 Feet

Mature Spread

6-8 Feet

Growing Zones

6 to 8

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.