Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

TreesShrubs

Laurelia sempervirens

Chilean laurel

An evergreen shrub or small tree, with an upright, conical habit and broadly elliptic, serrated leaves that are glossy bright green when young, and dark green and leathery when mature. Leaves are strongly aromatic when crushed. Clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers are produced in the leaf axils in early summer

Other common names

Peruvian nutmeg
tepa

Synonyms

Laurelia serrata

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

Higher than 12 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral, Alkaline

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or West–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Atherospermataceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Central and Southern Chile

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, moist soil that does not dry out, in a sheltered spot in sun or part shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by semi-ripe cuttings, taken with a heel and potted individually in sandy soil in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural

Pruning

Minimal pruning required, see pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.