Arborvitae vs Cherry laurel

Arborvitae and Cherry laurel are often considered for the same spot in the garden (hedge, screening, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis 3.5 m × 1.2 m after 10 years

A dense evergreen with scale-like foliage, planted in its columnar and conical forms (such as fast Brabant or slim Columna) as a clipped hedge or…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 140

Cherry laurel

Prunus laurocerasus 3 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

A fast-growing evergreen with glossy leaves and one of the most popular hedging plants: it grows in sun and shade alike and takes hard pruning well.…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about CZK 250

Key differences

Arborvitae: We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. In Central Europe thuja hedges are dying on a large scale, for several reasons that reinforce each other. The plant comes from cool, humid sites and cannot cope with hot, dry summers without watering: shoot tips brown and whole branches die.
Arborvitae grows taller, Cherry laurel spreads wider: 3.5 m × 1.2 m and 3 m × 2.5 m after ten years (an estimate: sources differ).
Arborvitae is hardier: down to -40 °C, against -23 °C for Cherry laurel.
Cherry laurel copes better with summer heat than Arborvitae.
Cherry laurel tolerates drought better than Arborvitae.
Cherry laurel needs less water than Arborvitae.
Arborvitae also takes chalky soil, Cherry laurel prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk (an estimate: sources differ).
Arborvitae also takes heavy clay, Cherry laurel needs a loose, free-draining soil (an estimate: sources differ).
Cherry laurel also grows in shade, Arborvitae does not.
Arborvitae has pollen that can cause allergies, Cherry laurel does not (an estimate: sources differ).
As a hedge, Arborvitae is cheaper: a running metre of plants of the same size (100–150 cm) costs about CZK 940 (2.5 plants), against about CZK 2,200 for Cherry laurel (2.5 plants).

Which one to choose?

Cherry laurel is the safer choice: we do not recommend planting Arborvitae in most gardens.

Watch out for

Arborvitae

In Central Europe thuja hedges are dying on a large scale, for several reasons that reinforce each other. The plant comes from cool, humid sites and cannot cope with hot, dry summers without watering: shoot tips brown and whole branches die. Weakened plants are attacked by the juniper jewel beetle (Lamprodila festiva, also called Ovalisia festiva): its larvae eat the phloem under the bark, a branch or the whole plant suddenly turns red-brown and dies, and oval exit holes are left on the trunk. Nothing works against the larvae under the bark; infested parts can only be cut out and destroyed. Fungal shoot and scale-leaf blights and the thuja bark beetle add to the damage. For these reasons experts no longer advise planting new thuja hedges; yew, privet or a mixed hedge is a safer choice. The dwarf globe forms are the same species and suffer from drought and fungal browning just the same; the jewel beetle mainly goes for exposed, sun-warmed trunks, so it is less common on small globes branched to the ground, but nothing shows that they are immune. In winter frozen soil and wind can brown the foliage, and wet snow splays columnar forms apart.

Cherry laurel

In Central Europe the leaves scorch in hard continental winters: the plant cannot take up water from frozen ground while winter sun and wind dry it out; large-leaved Rotundifolia browns below -20 °C and its shoots die back below -24 °C, the tougher cultivars suffer less. Water it in dry winters when the ground is not frozen and give it a sheltered spot. On limy soil the leaves turn yellow (chlorosis). Shot-hole (fungal and bacterial) and powdery mildew are common, root rot follows waterlogging, and vine weevil can notch the leaf edges. It escapes from gardens: bird-sown seedlings settle in woodland, which is why its sale has been banned in Switzerland since 1 September 2024 (Annex 2.2 of the Release Ordinance), Germany's nature conservation agency keeps it on the action list of potentially invasive species, and conservationists in Austria are calling for a sales ban. It is not on the EU, Hungarian or Slovak invasive lists.

The data side by side

Feature	Arborvitae	Cherry laurel
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1.2 m (uncertain)	3 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	0.5–20 m × 0.5–4.5 m (uncertain)	0.6–6 m × 1–4 m (uncertain)
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic (uncertain)
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Low	Medium
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	no data	April–May, white
Water need	High	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2.5 plants per running metre	2.5 plants per running metre
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)	Toxic
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)	Toxic
For children	Toxic	Toxic
Typical price	about CZK 370 (100–150 cm)	about CZK 900 (100–150 cm)
Hedge price per running metre	about CZK 940 (100–150 cm)	about CZK 2,200 (100–150 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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