Prunus lusitanica ‘Brenelia’ – Multi Stem (Portuguese Laurel)

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…

Multi-stemmed shrubs like Prunus lusitanica ‘Benelia’ are a really handsome and useful piece of topiary, positioned as they are as almost a cross-over between formal topiary and the more natural look. While the dark, understated foliage on the top of the plant is clipped and shaped into a gentle rounded dome, it is the stems that provide a lot of the wow factor.  All the bushy, twiggy side growth at the base of the stems  has been cut away, to deliberately expose the slender trunks. There may be two, three or more, they won't be straight, they are individual and the result is unique and interesting.