Cherry Laurel ‘Novita’

Cherry laurel ‘Novita or prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’ is a variety of cherry laurel, and is derived from the cultivar ‘Rotundifolia’. It is very similar to both the natural species and its parent cultivar ‘Rotundifolia’. Cherry laurel ‘Novita’, however, is not only more resistant to plant diseases, but also more resilient to cold weather than ‘Rotundifolia’, which makes ‘Novita’ perfect for the northern parts of the country, where the winters tend to be more severe. Cherry laurel ‘Novita’ has large rounded leaves, similar to ‘Rotundifolia’, and grows 40-50cm a year.

Evergreen Hedges with Year-Round Interest

This fast-growing variety can reach an ultimate height of 5-6m tall and has a compact growth habit, which makes it a good screening hedge. The leathery, glossy evergreen leaves and the panicles of white flowers in late spring, which are followed by berries in autumn, ensure year-round interest. The glossy red fruits that mature to black are eaten by birds, while the white flowers provide a food source for pollinators. It will grow in any soil type and is tolerant of poor conditions. It can be planted in full sun, but will even tolerate full shade and still produce flowers. Chalky soils are less favourable and probably need to be treated. Trim as necessary for a formal or informal hedge.

Cherry Laurel ‘Novita’ Maintenance

There are not many evergreen non-conifers that grow quite as fast as the cherry laurel. Of all the plants suitable for hedging in British gardens, ivy is the only non-coniferous evergreen that grows faster than most cherry laurel cultivars. Despite this rapid growth rate, it only needs to be pruned twice a year. Most of the pruning is done in early spring, around March, but we strongly recommend trimming your hedge again in September. Pruning a cherry laurel hedge is not difficult, but it does demand a careful approach, as using large tools, such as hedge shears, are likely to damage the beautiful leaves of the cherry laurel ‘Novita’. So make sure you only cut the branches.

Cherry Laurel ‘Novita’: Exceptionally Hardy

In the unlikely event your cherry laurel ‘Novita’ hedge becomes overgrown, you can even rejuvenate it by cutting it back to about half a metre above the ground. This only confirms the strength of this wonderful hedge plant Many people are looking for the beauty of a cherry laurel hedge in their garden, but some gardens are just not too welcoming for the popular ‘Rotundifolia’ variety. If your garden is too cold for that cultivar, cherry laurel ‘Novita’ will offer you the same playful look and year-round screening opportunities combined with more resilience to frost and diseases. If you are looking for an equally hardy, but lower cherry laurel hedge, the ‘Zabeliana’ and ‘Etna’ cultivars are excellent smaller varieties of cherry laurel.