The Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) is a widely utilized evergreen shrub valued for its glossy, dark green foliage and dense, upright growth habit. This plant is a popular choice for creating natural privacy screens and formal hedges because it retains its color year-round. Understanding its development rate is crucial for planning landscape designs that rely on specific timelines for coverage.
Expected Annual Growth Rate
The Skip Laurel is classified as having a moderately fast growth rate. Under typical conditions, this shrub adds approximately one to two feet of height per year. When planted in optimal conditions, growth can sometimes accelerate to two to three feet annually.
This consistent speed allows a hedge or screen to reach an effective viewing barrier height quickly. An unpruned Skip Laurel can eventually reach a mature height of 10 to 18 feet and a width of 5 to 7 feet. It usually reaches a significant functional height in about five years, often achieving its full mature height potential around ten years after planting. Its narrow, columnar growth habit means the plant focuses energy on vertical expansion.
Environmental Conditions That Impact Growth
While the Skip Laurel has an innate capacity for rapid growth, external factors influence whether the plant reaches its maximum potential. The shrub is adaptable to sunlight, tolerating full sun to full shade. In hotter climates, providing afternoon shade helps prevent leaf scorch and heat stress, allowing the plant to maintain a vigorous growth pattern.
Soil conditions are another variable, requiring excellent drainage. Although the plant adapts to various soil types, including clay and sandy compositions, poorly draining or overly saturated soil leads to root rot. This severely limits the plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water, halting growth. The Skip Laurel tolerates a wide range of soil pH levels, thriving from very acidic to slightly alkaline conditions.
Water availability is important during the first year as the root system establishes itself, requiring regular moisture. Once established, the shrub becomes drought-tolerant, but prolonged dryness will still cause stress and slow development. The Skip Laurel is cold-hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9. However, in colder ranges, frigid winds can cause winter burn, forcing the plant to expend energy on recovery rather than spring growth.
Managing Growth Through Maintenance
The growth rate and form of the Skip Laurel can be managed through strategic maintenance practices. Annual fertilization encourages strong vegetative growth and maintains the deep color of the glossy foliage. Applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer in the early spring, typically after the flowering period, provides the necessary nutrients for the main flush of seasonal growth.
For plants recovering from stress, a water-soluble fertilizer can provide an immediate nutrient boost to push out new growth quickly. Pruning stimulates new growth and helps maintain the desired density and shape. The best time for pruning is right after the spring flowering, allowing the plant to set new buds and recover before winter.
Skip Laurels respond well to both light trimming for shaping and aggressive cuts to maintain size or encourage lower branching. Cutting back older stems promotes denser foliage from the bottom up, ensuring the hedge remains fully screened. Maintaining plant health by addressing pests or diseases is crucial, as stress diverts energy away from growth.