The cherry laurel not only has pretty flowers, but also beautiful leaves. But what do they actually look like? And how can yellow or brown discoloration occur? We answer these and other questions in our article.
What is a cherry laurel leaf like?
A cherry laurel leaf is coarse, leathery, elongated to obovate, slightly bent at the edges and sometimes serrated, usually between 8 and 15 cm long. The leaves are shiny green and similar to the bay laurel, which is however dull green.
What does a cherry laurel leaf look like?
The leaf of the cherry laurel is coarse, leathery, elongated to obovate, slightly curved at the edges and sometimes slightly serrated towards the tip. It isbetween five and 25 centimeters long - the range usually varies between eight and 15 centimeters.
Superficially, the leaves of the cherry laurel look similar to those of the true laurel: however, upon closer inspection, you notice that the cherry laurel leaves areglossy green, while those of the true laurel are dull green.
Which cherry laurel has small leaves?
Cherry laurels with small leaves include these varieties:
- Otto Luyken
- Portuguese cherry laurel
- Euonymus japonicus
- Herbergii
Why do the leaves of cherry laurel turn yellow?
The leaves of the cherry laurel turn yellow inwaterloggingandin dense soil, among other things. Leaf burnsandFrost drying can also lead to yellowish discoloration.
Attention: Yellow leaves as a result ofdrought stress often become visible late, as the cherry laurel lasts surprisingly long when there is insufficient moisture. In some cases the discoloration only becomes apparent once the water supply has returned to normal. This naturally leads one to rule out drought stress as the cause.
Other possible reasons for yellow leaves on cherry laurel areNitrogen deficiencyandShotgun disease.
What to do about yellow leaves on a cherry laurel?
What you can do about yellow foliage on a cherry laureldepends on the cause of the discoloration:
- Waterlogging/soil compaction: Dig up the plant, loosen the soil, possibly incorporate coarse building sand (drainage for better water drainage)
- Leaf burns/frost drying: Always water cherry laurel in good time, if necessary temporarily cover individual plants with fleece
- Drought stress: Mulching helps to improve water storage capacity (especially in sandy soils)
- Nitrogen/nutrient deficiency: initially fertilize with minerals (acts faster than organic fertilizer), as a preventative measure, supply two to three liters of compost per square meter every spring (€12.00 on Amazon)
What if the cherry laurel gets brown leaves?
The cherry laurel can get brown leaves, especiallyafter long, stubborn winter periods. However, this does not mean that the bush has frozen; rather, it lacks water.
In order to bring it back to a he althy, beautiful condition, we recommend either removing thebrown leaves and watering the cherry laurel regularly again or watering it down to the main trunk and cut back a few side shoots completely.
Tip
When does the cherry laurel lose its leaves?
The cherry laurel usually only loses its leaves when temperatures drop below minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter. Otherwise, the shrub retains its evergreen foliage.