Portugal laurel: when and how to prune

Prunus lusitanica

Portugal laurel is best pruned in June and August.

Updated on 11 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	June and August
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in June and August
Flowering	June
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and birds
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Yes, take care with children and pets

Portugal laurel: when to prune it?

Late June, just after flowering. For a crisp hedge or ball, you can give it another light trim at the end of August.

What else to prune in those months? June · August

Use secateurs rather than a hedge trimmer: half-cut leaves turn brown and look unsightly.
Keep a hedge slightly wider at the bottom than at the top, so that the base gets light and does not go bare.
A neglected hedge can be cut back hard into old wood; it will shoot again afterwards.
Ball on a stem: trim twice a year, in late June and late August.

There are 2 pruning periods a year: June and August. You don’t have to prune in every one.
Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

Pruning in June and August can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
Portugal laurel flowers in June, when it attracts bees.
If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Caution: Wear gloves and clear up the prunings: the leaves and stones are poisonous.

This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.