The Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken') is a compact, broadleaf evergreen shrub sold in a #5 container size. This popular cultivar was introduced by Hesse Nurseries in Germany around 1968 and has since become a staple in landscape and foundation plantings. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall and spreads 6 to 8 feet wide, making it ideal for hedges, borders, mass plantings, and shaded woodland gardens.

The shrub features lustrous, oblong, dark green leaves up to 6 inches long that remain evergreen year-round. In April and May, it produces fragrant, creamy white flowers in upright clusters up to 5 inches long, attracting pollinators and birds. Small, glossy black drupes follow in mid-summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 8, it thrives in full sun to part shade and prefers moist, organically rich, well-drained soil. It tolerates heavy shade, alkaline soils, pollution, and drought once established, and is naturally deer-resistant with low maintenance requirements.