Cherry laurel vs Red-tip photinia

Cherry laurel and Red-tip photinia 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.

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

Red-tip photinia

Photinia × fraseri 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

An evergreen shrub for hedges and specimens whose new shoots emerge bright red and mature to glossy dark green; trimming in spring and summer brings…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 120

Key differences

Cherry laurel is hardier: down to -23 °C, against -18 °C for Red-tip photinia.
Red-tip photinia copes better with summer heat than Cherry laurel.
Red-tip photinia also takes chalky soil, Cherry laurel prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk (an estimate: sources differ).
Cherry laurel also grows in shade, Red-tip photinia does not.
As a hedge, Cherry laurel is cheaper: a running metre of plants of the same size (60–100 cm) costs about CZK 1,000 (2.5 plants), against about CZK 5,500 for Red-tip photinia (2.5 plants).

Which one to choose?

Cherry laurel is the better choice if the garden is cold or a frost pocket, the spot is shady or price matters.

Red-tip photinia is the better choice if the spot is hot and sunny or the soil is chalky.

Watch out for

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.

Red-tip photinia

In Central Europe its hardiness is borderline: most reliable sources rate it safely hardy only to about -18 °C, although Red Robin and its relatives have come through frosts near -23 °C in sheltered spots. In hard, windy, dry winters the leaves brown and drop and shoot tips die back; it usually resprouts after a spring cut. Water it in dry winters when the ground is not frozen. Leaf spot (Entomosporium) causes reddish-brown spots and, in humid wet sites, heavy leaf drop: keep water off the foliage, keep the plant airy and clear away fallen leaves. Fire blight and powdery mildew also occur, and it dies in waterlogged soil.

The data side by side

Feature	Cherry laurel	Red-tip photinia
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	3 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)	3 m × 2 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	0.6–6 m × 1–4 m (uncertain)	3–5 m × 3–5 m
Growth rate	Fast	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade, Shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic (uncertain)	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Heat tolerance	Medium	High
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	April–May, white	April–May, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2.5 plants per running metre	2.5 plants per running metre
For dogs	Toxic	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
For children	Toxic	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about CZK 400 (60–100 cm)	about CZK 2,200 (60–100 cm)
Hedge price per running metre	about CZK 1,000 (60–100 cm)	about CZK 5,500 (60–100 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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