Everything To Know About Skip Cherry Laurel Shrubs
As a longtime favorite in the landscape, we thought we’d take a moment to give Schip Cherry Laurels the credit they deserve. Boasting lustrous narrow evergreen foliage, along with intricate white cones of blooms in spring, there is simply so much to love about Skip Laurels!
Skip Cherry Laurel History
Botanically referenced as Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis,' the common name of this popular yard shrub has evolved over the years.
Beginning with Schip Cherry Laurel, the iconic shrub got its name from the location at which the plant originated: along Bulgaria’s Schipka mountain pass. The shrub was introduced to European gardens in1886 and made its way to America in the 20th century!
Since its discovery, the Schip Cherry Laurel has been coined the more common name ‘Skip Cherry Laurel,’ or for short ‘Skip Laurel.’
Skip Cherry Laurel Benefits
Aside from the utter beauty the Skip Laurel provides to a landscape, these shrubs bring a plethora of benefits to a landscape.
Firstly, is the impressive hardiness of this leafy green shrub. Hardy to USDA Zones 6 to 9, Skip Laurels are praised for their tolerance to intense temperatures both hot and cold.
Additionally, the shrubs are readily adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. Known to handle anything from alkaline to dry soils, Skip Laurel shrubs are tough cookies and are a great option if you have a section of land where plants are reluctant to grow. The resilient shrubs are also resistant to pollution, deer, drought, and pests!
Beyond their hardiness to the elements, Skip Laurel plants boast moderately fast growth rates and require little maintenance to keep up with their sheer beauty. As an added bonus, Schip Cherry Laurel shrubs produce highly attractive stalks of aromatic white blooms in spring!
How To Plant and Care For Skip Cherry Laurels
We recommend planting your Skip Laurel shrubs two to three feet apart. For best results, plant your Laurel shrubs in partial shade. Dig a hole 2-3 times the size of the root ball, and the same depth as the container. Place your Laurel Shrub in the hole, backfill, and water thoroughly. Water your shrubs weekly until established.
For a more in-depth explanation of Cherry Laurel planting and care, be sure to check out our Cherry Laurel Planting Guide.
Ways To Use Skip Laurels in The Landscape
With a shrub that reaps so many benefits, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the options for use in the landscape are endless for this versatile shrub!
The most popular option for use of the Skip Laurel is in use as hedging or for a privacy screen. The shrub’s dense foliage and fast-growing nature make it ideal for creating a green wall of privacy to separate your property from the outside world.
Other popular uses of the Schip Laurel bushes include mass plantings, yard borders, use as a focal point, or used to cover eye sores in the landscape.
Preventing and Treating Shot-Hole On Skip Cherry Laurel Plants
Although there is so much to love about Skip Cherry Laurel shrubs, nobody’s perfect, not even the Skip. A prevalent issue with this stunning yard plant is the occurrence of a disease called shot-hole. But don’t fear! There are steps you can take to easily prevent, and if needed treat shot-hole on your Laurel shrubs.
What Is Shot-Hole?
Also referred to as Coryneum blight, shot-hole is a common bacterial disease that presents itself in small holes in a shrub’s foliage. It is important to note that the disease is not a serious threat to the well-being of the plant, but its presence takes away from the ultimate beauty of the plant.
What Causes Shot-Hole?
The fungus is most prevalent during wet winters and warm humid springs. The shot-hole infection can be readily spread and worsened when the shrubs are grouped too close together and there is not enough circulation through the foliage. The condition is also worsened through practices of overhead watering.
How To Prevent Shot-Hole
The best practices to prevent shot-hole on your Schip Laurels include proper spacing for good air circulation, drip irrigation or bottom watering, and thinning out excess branches yearly.
Another great shot-hole preventative measure is the application of Bonide Copper Fungicide. This all-organic blend is used to control a wide range of plant diseases and is great for warding off that pesky shot-hole!
How To Treat Shot-Hole
If your Schip Cherry Laurel has already been infected with shot-hole, the best practice for treatment is pruning off the affected leaves and giving the shrub a well-circulated atmosphere to recover and grow new healthy foliage.
Shop Cherry Laurel Shrubs Online
Aside from the classic and beautiful creation that is the Skip Cherry Laurel, there are various other Cherry Laurel shrubs to love that look phenomenal in the landscape!
Shop our full collection of Cherry Laurel shrubs available for shipment to your front door online today!