Laurus nobilis screen
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Laurus nobilis screen
- From: E*@agora.stm.it
- Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 7:53:54 ITA
Laurus nobilis makes a wonderful thick hedge. Our entire garden is
surrounded by a high cyclone fence enclosed in this tough Mediterranean
plant...however for a screen to hide compost, you will need to allow a good
3 feet for depth and time to keep the screen pruned to size.
This would mean WORK-WORK-WORK to keep it contained.
You will need more than felcos...long live sharp saws.
In a favourable climate this plant grows with vigor and will soon turn into
a HUGE TALL hedge, especially if fed with all the goodness that will seep
into the soil from the compost pile.>
On the other hand think of the wonderful pork chops you could have every
day! Season each chop with a leathery leaf of laurel ('laurus nobilis'
only), and freshly ground black pepper, then gently grill with an
occasional basting of extra virgin olive oil. Salt at the end and 'buon
appetito'! How's that for a hedge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This problem has become as interesting as a soap opera - we are all on pins
and needles to know what the choice plant will be...
Helene Pizzi
from Rome
Nan,
> Here's another vote against Laurus nobilis.
> My tree was identified by several tree 'experts' as Laurus nobilis not
> Umbellularia
> californica. I can't confirm it.
> It was planted in 1960 so I've been told. It didn't start suckering
until about
> 10 years ago and that may be in response to armellaria sp & ? spelling,
I mean
> Oak root fungus, which now fruits completely around the trunk in November
and
> December. The trunk is about 2 feet in diameter. The tree is at least 30
feet
> tall. I've had it inspected by a couple of plant pathologists who say
the tree
> is in no danger of falling so I've no excuse to cut it down and grow a
persimmon
> or some other useful tree. My advice to others has been to grow Laurus
nobilis
> in a container.
>
> I like Michael Larmer's idea, only with a Passionflower vine. There are
some
> real beauties that grow in your climate.
> Liz W
>
> " an adequate trellis can be constructed of galvanized posts
> set every eight or ten feet and then strung with fence wire."
>
> John MacGregor wrote:
>
> > > My experience of Lauris nobilis is that it suckers fearfully (I grow
> > > one only as a container plant for this reason). Do you perhaps have
a
> > > non-suckering form
> >
> >
> > This is the first I have ever heard of Laurus nobilis suckering. I
have
> > grown it for 30 years in Southern California, as single plants and as
hedge,
> > in several different gardens, including in the Shakespeare Garden at
the
> > Huntington Botanical Gardens where I used to be chief horticulturist.
> > Occasionally a branch lies on the ground and layers itself, but nary a
> > sucker. Are you sure we are talking about the same plant? California
Bay,
> > Umbellularia californica, has been known to sucker.
> >
> > John MacGregor
> > jonivy@earthlink.net
>
>
