Skip Laurel Shrub

Why Skip Laurel Shrubs?

This dense, glossy evergreen can be trained into a tight hedge or left unclipped to show off its naturally rounded shape either way, you get a screen thick enough to block a view, wind, or street noise without waiting years for it to fill in.

This evergreen is hardy and resistant in nearly every way:

• Drought tolerant – no need to water after it’s established

• Deer resistant – not many evergreens can say that!

• Tolerant of air pollution – great for cities and urban landscapes

• Adaptable to a range of soil types – provided the soil drains well

• Tolerant of partial shade – though full sun and good airflow give it the healthiest, most vigorous growth

The Skip Laurel grows at a steady, moderate pace of about 2 feet per year, reaching full size in roughly a decade. Left unclipped, it puts on a real show each spring: fragrant, white, candle-like flower spikes, followed by dark red berries that persist into autumn and winter. Plant it as a privacy hedge, a windbreak, or a buffer against dust and traffic noise space plants around 5 to 10 feet apart for a hedge, or wider if you want individual, fuller shapes to develop.

One thing to know before you plant: if your Skip Laurel Shrub arrives with small holes or spotting on some leaves, that’s usually shot-hole fungus, a common but largely cosmetic issue in laurels new growth typically comes in clean, especially with decent airflow between plants and a spot that isn’t consistently wet.

What is a Jumbo Skip Laurel Shrub?

Jumbo shrubs are the most mature plants offered at Trees.com. Their well-developed root systems and larger container size give them better drought resistance after establishment and nutrient uptake right out of the gate, so they’re the right call if you want a fuller hedge or immediate privacy without the wait grown in limited quantities for homeowners who want a fast, established look.

Why Trees.com?

Your Skip Laurel is grown at our nursery until it has a strong, well-developed root system before it ever ships not just until it looks sellable so it’s ready to establish quickly once it’s in your yard rather than needing time to catch up first.

Every shrub we ship is backed by our Alive & Thrive Guarantee, and our Plant Experts are ready to help with questions about spacing, siting, or spotting the difference between shipping-related leaf damage and an ongoing issue as your hedge fills in.

Planting & Care

1. Planting: First, select a location with well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade any area with about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight should suffice. When youre ready to plant, dig a hole thats about three times the width of your plants root ball, and place your plant.

2. Watering: Once established, your Skip Laurel is relatively drought-tolerant, but its important to have a regular watering schedule for the first few growing seasons. Water about once weekly or check the surrounding soil about 2 or 3 inches down. Generally, we recommend letting a garden hose run for about 1 to 3 minutes per week, depending on your soil.

3. Fertilizing: You’ll want to use a shrub and tree fertilizer, unless a soil test shows that nutrients are low or missing. If the soil is missing or low on nutrients, use a nutrient-specific fertilizer.

4. Pruning: You may want to consider pruning if you’re using Skip Laurels as a hedge; left unclipped, you’ll get white, candle-like flowers with red berries in autumn and winter. To clip into a hedge, simply shear to your desired shape and height in the fall or winter.