Anglo-Japanese yew vs Cherry laurel

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

Anglo-Japanese yew

Taxus × media 2.5 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A dark green, dense evergreen and one of the best plants for a clipped hedge: it grows in sun and deep shade alike, copes well with city air and…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 84

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 PLN 7

Key differences

Anglo-Japanese yew is highly toxic to children, dogs and cats: even a small amount can be life-threatening. Do not plant it where small children, dogs or cats go. Apart from the flesh of the red aril, every part of the plant is highly poisonous, including needles, bark and seeds, even when dry.
Cherry laurel grows larger: 3 m × 2.5 m after ten years, against 2.5 m × 1.5 m for Anglo-Japanese yew (an estimate: sources differ).
Cherry laurel grows faster than Anglo-Japanese yew.
Anglo-Japanese yew is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -23 °C for Cherry laurel.
Anglo-Japanese yew also takes chalky soil, Cherry laurel prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk (an estimate: sources differ).
Anglo-Japanese yew needs less care than Cherry laurel.
As a hedge, Cherry laurel is cheaper: a running metre of plants of the same size (60–100 cm) costs about PLN 210 (2.5 plants), against about PLN 300 for Anglo-Japanese yew (3 plants).

Which one to choose?

Anglo-Japanese yew is the better choice if space is tight, the garden is cold or a frost pocket, the soil is chalky or you have little time for care.

Cherry laurel is the better choice if small children, dogs or cats use the garden, you want quick results or price matters.

Watch out for

Anglo-Japanese yew

On wet, poorly drained soil it is killed by root rot, which is the most common cause of failure. In exposed sites winter sun and cold wind can scorch the needles. Twig and needle blight, scale insects, mealybugs and vine weevil are occasional problems.

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	Anglo-Japanese yew	Cherry laurel
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	2.5 m × 1.5 m	3 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	3–6 m × 2–4 m	0.6–6 m × 1–4 m (uncertain)
Growth rate	Slow	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade, Shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic (uncertain)
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Medium (uncertain)	Medium
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	no data	April–May, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Low	Medium
Planted as a hedge	3 plants per running metre	2.5 plants per running metre
For dogs	Highly toxic	Toxic
For cats	Highly toxic	Toxic
For children	Highly toxic	Toxic
Typical price	about PLN 100 (60–100 cm)	about PLN 85 (60–100 cm)
Hedge price per running metre	about PLN 300 (60–100 cm)	about PLN 210 (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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