P. lusitanica is the hardier of the two. The Portuguese laurel is also a better looking plant, with smaller, neatly serrated, softer green leaves that resemble bay (Laurus nobilis).

Answer: The hardy Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is perfect for hedging and topiary. The combination of evergreen leaves and rhubarb-red stems makes the Portuguese laurel a very attractive ...

There is laurel and then there is laurel; in this case, the ferociously hardy Portuguese form (Prunus lusitanica) which was once immensely popular, but now, like so many of those dark evergreens ...