Laurustinus

Questions about laurustinus

Does laurustinus need sun or shade?

Laurustinus grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does laurustinus grow in?

USDA zones 8 to 10. It is hardy to zone 8, which means it survives winter nights down to about 20 °F (−7 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does laurustinus flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early January to early April. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should laurustinus be planted?

5 ft (150 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6½ ft (200 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 ft (250 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many laurustinus plants do I need?

Usually one. At 5 ft (150 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 5 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is laurustinus poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like laurustinus?

Laurustinus comes from Mediterranean area of Europe and North Africa. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Mexican orange blossom: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 2½ ft shorter, flowers early May to late May.
• Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 2½ ft shorter, 12 in narrower.
• Black chokeberry: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 3½ ft shorter, 12 in narrower.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat laurustinus?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after laurustinus?

Laurustinus is over by early April. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Pieris 'Mountain Fire': from late March to late April, 6½ ft tall.
• Rhododendron 'PJM': from late April to mid May, 5 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Bleeding heart: from early May to early June, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does laurustinus look like in winter?

Laurustinus keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for winter flowers in mild climates as well.

Is laurustinus good for bees and butterflies?

Laurustinus is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and songbirds.