Laurel Shrubs - Grows well in shade!

The laurel shrub comes in a variety of forms, but the most well known is the mountain laurel.  Laurels are related to rhododendrons and azaleas, and like them, have beautiful flowers.  One nice thing about using laurel for a shrub or a hedge in your yard is that it grows well in shade.  They have attractive wide green foliage year round, even in deep shade, but for better flowering it helps the plant to get at least a little sun each day.  

Laurels need a well drained soil, which you can get by spading in some peat moss or sand if your soil does not drain well.  They like a slightly acid soil, so you can mulch them with wood chips or pine needles, which are often too acidic for other plants.  Use a moderately thick mulch of four inches or so. You will also want to keep your laurel shrubs well watered for best results. 

Mountain laurels usually grow to about six to eight feet tall, which makes them a natural for making a privacy hedge.  Because their growth habit is so dense, they help to block out highway noises when planted along the roadway.  They may need occasional pruning to stay neat looking.  If you remove the dead flowers before they produce seed, you will get even more flowers the next year.  These are tough trees that can take a serious pruning and come out of it.