Prunus lusitanica ‘Brenelia’ – Balls (Portuguese Laurel)

Unsurprisingly, these are ball shaped. The relatively small, slightly wavy dark green leaves of Prunus lusitanica Brenelia lend themselves to clipping into neat shapes and are often used for punctuation, definition and repetition within the planting scheme.

Prunus lusitanica Brenelia is a handsome plant and a real stalwart within the garden. Hardy, easy and evergreen, this is a selected form of Portuguese laurel where the simple structured leaves are a plain and dark green and much smaller but unlike Prunus lusitanica ‘Myrtifolia’, the leaves are softly flexed with wavy edges adding another point of interest and meaning that P.  lusitanica Brenelia lends itself to being shaped and clipped within the garden. The small white flowers are held on little spikes in high summer, but as with all topiary, if the plant is shaped regularly, the flowering spikes may well be cut off in the process so assume it’s plain green and enjoy the flowers if they appear…

A lovely and quite new variety of Portuguese laurel, that ever-so adaptable evergreen, Prunus lusitanica. ‘Brenelia’ is a cultivar with more wavily-edged foliage and a very deeply defined fold down the mid vein of each leaf. This gives it a very textural look, being dense and generous of foliage as it tends to be. These glossy boules are ever so special, and are excellent for bringing instant character and year-round interest into any garden. Don’t spread it about but they’re a doddle to grow, too. Happy in any soil that isn’t a swamp and really adaptable to aspect, taking full sun (Mediterranean-themed garden? Definitely) to quite deep shade (tricky spot in a city courtyard that needs shape and definition? Ta-daaa!) We’re endlessly enchanted by rows of these on our nursery, placed with precision to line the pathways below their elevated standard and multi-stemmed siblings. It’s not an accidental display: we’re good at this. A cracking technique, this repetition of one species but in contrasting growth forms. Give it a go. Simplicity itself, really, but incredibly impactful.