spotted laurel

Medium-sized, bushy, fast growing evergreen shrub (H 2-3 m, W 2-3 m). Branches mostly upright, stranske open to slightly hanging. Leaves ovate to egg-shaped (15-20 cm), with a sparsely serrate margin, smooth, leathery, glossy, vivid green. Flowers tiny, in panicles (10 cm), violet-red; male and female flowers on separate plants, dioecious plant. Flowering period: May. Fruits globose (up to 1 cm), smooth, fleshy, bright red, inedible. Ripening time: September-October. It grows well in not too wet soils, protected from hot sun and dry wind, in a slightly sheltered site. Some branches may die during dry, cold winters, but the plant regrows well from old wood.