Prunus lusitanica 'Angustifolia' (evergreen)

Prunus lusitanica, also known as Portuguese laurel cherry or Portuguese laurel, is a flowering plant species from the rose family Rosaceae, native to the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, the Macaronesian archipelagos, and the French Basque Country.

It is a shrub or small evergreen tree that can grow up to 3-8 m tall (although it can reach 15-20 m in cultivation). The bark is smooth and dark gray. The leaves are alternate, oval, 7-15 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, with a sharp tip and a serrated edge, glossy dark green above and lighter underneath.

The flowers are white, fragrant, arranged in clusters. The fruits are black drupes, 1 cm in diameter, inedible.

Prunus lusitanica is a popular choice for those wishing to form dense hedges – the plant is pliable and can be kept at a certain height by pruning, while branching abundantly.