Cherry laurel vs Oval-leaved privet

Cherry laurel and Oval-leaved privet 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.

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

Oval-leaved privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

An undemanding hedging shrub with glossy dark green leaves that thickens up quickly, grows in almost any soil and copes well with city air. It keeps…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about PLN 10

Key differences

Cherry laurel is evergreen, Oval-leaved privet is semi-evergreen.
Oval-leaved privet also takes chalky soil, Cherry laurel prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk (an estimate: sources differ).
Oval-leaved privet also takes heavy clay, Cherry laurel needs a loose, free-draining soil (an estimate: sources differ).
Oval-leaved privet has pollen that can cause allergies, Cherry laurel does not (an estimate: sources differ).
As a hedge, Cherry laurel is cheaper: a running metre of plants of the same size (100–150 cm) costs about PLN 350 (2.5 plants), against about PLN 500 for Oval-leaved privet (4 plants).

Which one to choose?

Cherry laurel is the better choice if it must screen in winter too, someone in the family has a pollen allergy or price matters.

Oval-leaved privet is the better choice if the soil is chalky or the soil is heavy clay.

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.

Oval-leaved privet

In the colder winters of Central Europe you cannot count on year-round screening: it drops its leaves in hard frost and shoots of young, not yet established plants may die back, although it resprouts in spring. Yellow variegated forms can be scorched after their first winters. It is notably susceptible to honey fungus, and powdery mildew, leaf spots and aphids occur. It does not tolerate waterlogging. In favourable spots it can seed itself around.

The data side by side

Feature	Cherry laurel	Oval-leaved privet
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 × 2–4.5 m
Growth rate	Fast	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade, Shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic (uncertain)	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Medium	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Semi-evergreen
Flowering	April–May, white	June–July, white
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2.5 plants per running metre	4 plants per running metre
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic
For cats	Toxic	Toxic
For children	Toxic	Toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about PLN 140 (100–150 cm)	about PLN 130 (100–150 cm)
Hedge price per running metre	about PLN 350 (100–150 cm)	about PLN 500 (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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