Viewed as an invasive plant by some, English laurel or Prunus laurocerasus were planted by Coppertop’s first owners to form three areas of glossy evergreen hedging, two along fences and one near the pond. These plants are unrelated to the true laurel, but related to cherry and in the Rosaeceae family. The shrubs are highly attractive to pollinators, fragrancing the air sweetly when in bloom, which is right now.

English laurel can grow 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and can be pruned into more of a tree shape. Ours are in need of cutting back. I’ve read that the period between April and August is the perfect time to prune English laurel, and the earlier they are trimmed, the more new growth they’ll put on to cover pruning cuts. Time to sharpen the loppers.