Cherry laurel has now fallen into disrepute because it cannot be used by the local wildlife. In addition, the invasive species is spreading and crowding out native trees and shrubs. We present 15 beautiful alternatives to cherry laurel.
In a nutshell
- Cherry laurel ecologically questionable: no food for birds and insects
- spreads invasively in nature in some regions
- prefer native shrubs when planting in the garden
- look out for bee and bird friendly species
- choose especially flowering and fruiting trees
Shrubs
Blood barberry / red hedge barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea')
- attractive red foliage, yellow flowers between May and June
- very dense growth, high budding capacity
- cut-resistant and undemanding to soil and care
- Needs a sunny to semi-shady location
- Growth width: up to two meters
- Growth height: up to three meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 40 centimeters per year
Notice: The blood barberry is one of the most beautiful alternatives to cherry laurel, especially since it also offers food and protection to the local wildlife. It is considered a bee food and bird protection tree.
Field maple (Acer campestre)
- very easy to cut, robust and windproof
- good suitability also for high hedges
- native bird shelter
- loves calcareous soils, for sun and semi-shade
- Growth width: up to ten meters
- Growth height: up to 15 meters
- Growth rate: 30 to 45 centimeters per year
Green barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
- densely branched growth, develops many shoots
- robust and very hardy
- very suitable for acidic soils
- Growth width: up to 220 centimeters
- Growth height: up to 250 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 35 centimeters per year
Notice: The hedge barberry is a nice alternative to cherry laurel. she forms dense hedges in whose protection birds like to nest. Autumn also shows the beautiful, scarlet autumn color of this species.
Hornbeam / Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
- native, deciduous wild wood
- very tolerant of pruning, ideal for hedges
- shade-tolerant and undemanding
- Growth width: up to 750 centimeters
- Growth height: up to 14 meters
- Growth rate: 30 to 35 centimeters per year
European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
- native, robust wild wood
- tolerates shade and pruning very well
- dense foliage, very suitable for hedges
- Growth width: up to eight meters
- Growth height: up to 30 meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 50 centimeters per year
Notice: The common beech as a domestic alternative is not suitable for very dry locations, as it is quite sensitive to prolonged drought. Therefore, in midsummer, water again and again!
Conifers & Evergreens
Yew (Taxus baccata)
- native, evergreen species with dark needles
- develops bright red fruit decorations, is often eaten by birds
- tolerates pruning very well, good suitability for hedges and topiary
- undemanding in terms of location and care, tolerates shade
- Growth width: up to eight meters
- Growth height: up to ten meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 30 centimeters per year
Notice: The yew is one of the best local alternatives to cherry laurel, but it is highly toxic. All parts of the plant are toxic, especially since the bright red fruits could encourage small children to snack.
European holly (Ilex aquifolium)
- for slightly acidic to acidic soils
- very good shade tolerance
- forms bright red fruits that are eaten by birds
- very good suitability for hedges and topiary
- Growth width: up to six meters
- Growth height: up to ten meters
- Growth rate: rather slow
Notice: Even the attractive holly as an alternative to cherry laurel is not entirely harmless: its fruits are highly toxic, and the edges of the leaves have pointed teeth.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
- native, very robust coniferous tree for nutrient-poor, gravelly soils
- develops black fruits that are readily eaten by birds
- very frost hardy, copes well with drought
- often picturesque, bizarre growth
- Growth width: up to five meters
- Growth height: up to eight meters
Tip: There are numerous beautiful varieties with different growth forms as alternatives to cherry laurel, for example the carpet-like growing 'Green Carpet' or the Irish columnar juniper 'Hibernica'.
Flowering shrubs & wild trees
Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea)
- attractive ornamental fruit plant with evergreen leaves
- numerous white flowers between May and June
- for individual position, group planting and hedges
- sunny to semi-shady location
- Growth width: up to four meters
- Height of growth: up to four meters
Notice: Contrary to popular belief, firethorn's bright red or orange fruits are not poisonous, but taste very sour.
Snowball (Viburnum opulus)
- large, white flowers from May to June
- beautiful leaf coloring in autumn
- native wild plant
- for sunny to semi-shady locations
- Growth width: up to four meters
- Growth height: up to five meters
Tip: Other snowball species such as the woolly snowball (Viburnum lantana) are ecologically valuable and at the same time attractive trees for the garden and therefore recommended as an alternative to cherry laurel.
willow (Salix fragilis)
- bushy, often multi-stemmed growth
- shiny, dark green leaves, deciduous
- greenish-yellow catkins in spring, important for bees and bumblebees
- for a sunny to semi-shady location with fresh to moist soil
- Growth height: up to 15 meters
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)
- tolerates pruning, often multi-stemmed large shrub
- bright yellow flowers from March to April
- edible red fruits in autumn
- Valuable native wild wood for insects and birds
- Growth width: up to 350 centimeters
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth rate: 10 to 30 centimeters per year
Euonymus europaeus
- also known as the common spindle tree
- native, very robust wild wood, valuable bee pasture
- tolerates both flooding and drought
- beautiful autumn colors, attractive fruit decoration
- Growth width: up to 350 centimeters
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 25 centimeters per year
Notice: As with so many other attractive garden plants as alternatives to cherry laurel, so are the leaves and fruit of the euonymus highly toxic.
Spiraea (Spiraea vanhouttei)
- Picturesque, broad, bushy, overhanging growth when old
- numerous hemispherical flower clusters between May and June
- undemanding and cut compatible
- very good for group or hedge plantings
- Growth width: up to 200 centimeters
- Growth height: up to 300 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 50 centimeters per year
'Finale', Astilbe chinensis hybrid
Scarlet Thorn (Crataegus coccinea)
- multi-stemmed large shrub
- intense autumn colors, scarlet berries
- tolerates drought, grows on almost all soils
- for sunny and warm locations
- Growth width: up to five meters
- Growth height: up to seven meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 30 centimeters per year
frequently asked Questions
Why shouldn't you plant cherry laurel anymore?Cherry laurel is problematic for several reasons. The shrub offers no food for birds and insects, and the shrub cuttings cannot be composted. Instead, the material is often dumped in the forest. There it then grows and, due to its rapid growth, displaces native trees and shrubs.
Which is better, cherry laurel or thuja?Basically, neither of the two species is recommended for an ecologically sensible managed garden. Instead, rely on native woody species. Among them you have a large selection of attractive varieties - and with which you do something good for nature.
Which hedge plants grow the fastest?If you want to do without cherry laurel and thuja but are still looking for a fast-growing hedge, try the hornbeam. With favorable site conditions, this has quite high growth rates. In addition, the leaves that dry up in autumn remain on the bush over the winter, so that there is privacy all year round. Field maple and common beech are also fast-growing.