Etna Laurel hedging plants (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Etna’) are a useful alternative variety of Cherry or Common Laurel that has a particularly bushy and rather more compact habit of growth.
Prunus laurocerasus ‘Etna’ has the same large rounded leaves as Common Laurel, about twice as long as they are wide and deep glossy green on the top surface, lighter green on the underside. The new growth is a delightful warm coppery orange at first before turning green, rather like a toned down Photinia Red Robin.
Like all Cherry Laurels, Etna Laurel hedging plants produce candles of Hawthorn scented white flowers in Spring that seem to erupt from the branches, these are followed by red cherry like fruits that mature to black and are popular with birds.
Prunus Etna is a particularly valuable variety of hedging Laurel because it is more tolerant of difficult sites than the usual Common variety, this plant is more suitable for cold and exposed sites, dense shade and even near the coast.
This more compact variety has a moderate growth rate at 20-40cm per year making it suitable for smaller hedges, Etna is a perfect substitute where other Laurels may become too large and overbearing. The dense growth means that coverage as a hedge is excellent and can be maintained as a hedge from 1 metre up to 2.5 metres. Prunus Etna may also be planted as a screen, setting the plants further apart and letting them grow together naturally without trimming.
The best time to trim Etna Laurel hedging plants is either in the Spring before the plants come into growth, or during Autumn when growth has finished. A hedge of Prunus laurocerasus ‘Etna’ could be trimmed after the first flush of growth to encourage a second show of coppery orange shoots later in the season.
When grown as a hedge we would recommend 3 Etna Laurel hedging plants per metre, planted in a single row. For an extra dense hedge, you could use 5 per metre planted as a staggered double row. You can of course fewer plants by setting them further apart, it is still possible to achieve excellent results, but it will take longer for the new Laurel hedge to grow together.
Our Laurel Etna hedging plants are all pot grown, this means they can be planted successfully at any time of year because there is no root disturbance. They are delivered to you fresh, in their pots direct from our nursery growing beds.
Planting a new hedge is a rewarding pastime and Etna Laurel hedging plants are easy to please! As always, the general rules of hedge planting apply, any perennial weeds and grass must be cleared from the site which should be well prepared, improving the soil with some compost or well-rotted manure if possible. If you aren’t sure how to prepare the site and plant the new hedge, we have a handy guide on our How to plant a hedge page and we will send you a printed copy with your order.
When planting we always recommend that you use Bone Meal as a slow release fertiliser, well mixed with the soil and Rootgrow to give your new Laurel hedge the very best start.
We offer generous quantity discounts for larger orders (the more plants you buy, the cheaper they are). However, if your enquiry is over £1000 in value please get in touch and we will prepare a special discounted quote for you.
If you have any other questions about Laurel Etna hedging plants or would like a special price for a large enquiry, please contact our experienced hedging sales team on 01580 765600 or drop us an email via our contact page.
Delivery leadtimes update- March/April 2024
We are working at maximum capacity to fulfil all orders as quickly as possible but owing to unprecedented demand some orders will take longer:
– Orders containing only bare root plants – delivery is currently within 5-7 days
– All other orders – delivery is currently within 2-3 weeks
Delivery is free for most orders above our free delivery thresholds, these are displayed above our prices in the product listings and summarized below. If you don’t need that many plants it’s not a problem, you can choose to pay our delivery charge and only order what you need.
Delivery is convenient – no signature is required so you don’t need to wait in, we will leave your parcel in the safe place that you nominate.
Delivery is fast – because we pick orders daily from our own growing beds your plants only travel the small hop to our packing shed before being sent to you, they are usually delivered within 3-7 days.
Delivery is reliable – we have been selling and delivering Hedging Plants to our customers nationwide since 1992. We have a lot of experience in packing them safely and only use tried and tested delivery partners.
Smaller Plants (Parcel Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £90 | £15.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £90 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £24.00 |
Heavy Plants (Pallet Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £420 | £72.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £420 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £72.00 |
Tall Plants 2.5m+ (Specialist Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Under £1800 | Please call us |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £1800 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | Not available |
Exceptions to our delivery charges are Scottish Highland and Isle of Wight delivery areas where we need to charge a little extra to cover the cost of deliveries to these outlying areas. We don’t currently delivery to other offshore addresses including Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Tall plants over 2.5 metres have to be delivered by our own specialised transport, our delivery area is limited to mainland England and Wales only.
Please note there is a minimum order value of £50 for orders containing smaller plants and £250 for orders containing heavier plants
Complete delivery information can be viewed on our Delivery Information page
