Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Prunus laurocerasus ‘Mount Vernon’
Dwarf English Laurel
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Height
- 1 to 2 feet
- Width
- 5 to 8 feet
- Flower color
- White
- Foliage color
- Dark glossy green
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Light
- Partial to full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; requires occasional pruning to maintain shape
- Growing zone
- USDA Zone 6 to 8
- Wildlife
- Attracts birds for its berries
About this plant
Prunus laurocerasus 'Mount Vernon' produces short, upright clusters of fragrant creamy white flowers in spring to early summer, although flowering is often sparse. Large, narrow, glossy dark green leaves are leathery and densely arranged along low, spreading branches, creating a lush evergreen carpet with bold texture throughout the year. Its slow-growing, prostrate habit develops into a broad, compact groundcover that remains naturally tidy without frequent shaping.
Selected from cherry laurel, a species native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, 'Mount Vernon' is a garden-origin cultivar valued primarily for its low-growing evergreen form. Its horizontal branching makes it particularly useful beneath trees and shrubs, along foundations, on slopes, beside pathways, and at the front of mixed borders, where the dense foliage provides year-round coverage and structure.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Borders · Slopes & Banks · Bird Gardens
Companion plants
Skimmia · Japanese maple · Ajuga · Autumn fern · Snowdrops · Hellebore
Design tip
‘Mount Vernon’ is a good choice for bringing a lush, finished look beneath taller shrubs or along the front of a planting. Its broad, glossy leaves create a rich green carpet year-round, while white spring flowers and dark berries add subtle seasonal interest.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Bellevue Botanical Garden.
